Flock Safety, a company known for its license plate-scanning technology, is shifting its focus towards drones, with CEO Garrett Langley stating that drones are now the company’s fastest-growing business. In a recent interview on the “All-In” podcast, Langley revealed that the license plate-scanning business now accounts for just under half of the company’s “forward-looking revenue.”
The company is investing in Drone as First Responder (DFR) technology, which allows drones to be dispatched to emergencies before police officers arrive. Langley explained that when a 9-1-1 call is made, a drone can be sent instead of an officer, providing a quicker response time.
Drones raise privacy concerns, with civil liberties advocates warning that drones can capture footage from areas that officers may not be able to easily observe. Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst, wrote in a March white paper that “drones can watch us — sometimes closely enough to see the pores on our skin.”
Garrett Langley shared a story about a woman in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who called the police after seeing a man who she thought was brandishing a gun. The police sent a drone to capture video of the man, and it was determined that he was actually using a large lighter. Langley noted that in this situation, the use of a drone prevented a potentially dangerous situation from escalating.
Flock has secured over 200 DFR customers, including police departments and private companies. They are also ramping up production of their US-designed drones, which will be built in Georgia.
However, Flock’s core license plate-reader business is facing growing scrutiny, with concerns over misread plates and innocent people being stopped or detained. In response to these concerns, Flock updated its privacy and security protocols, reducing the default retention period for license plate data from one month to one week.
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Existing customers can keep their current retention periods, which were approved democratically. Langley also stated that Flock is working to hold bad cops accountable and is hoping for broader regulatory changes.
Despite the backlash, Flock maintains that the number of communities canceling or reconsidering contracts remains small compared to the company’s overall growth rate. Flock’s growth rate is seven times its current churn rate, according to a spokesperson.
The company has deployed cameras in over 6,000 communities across the US, which can catalog vehicle characteristics, including license plates, models, bumper stickers, and dents. They face challenges in addressing concerns over privacy and misuse of their technology.
As the use of drones and license plate readers continues to grow, Flock will face ongoing scrutiny and challenges in balancing public safety with individual privacy. The company’s efforts to update its protocols and address concerns may help to mitigate some of these challenges.
Flock is investing in bond measures to secure its business.
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