Flock's CEO Apologizes, Announces Policy Changes
The short version: Flock's CEO apologized for ALPR misuse and announced policy tweaks, but an apology isn't oversight and a policy isn't a law.
Our Take
CiVL Dispatch covers a genuinely notable moment: Garrett Langley, CEO of Flock Safety, going on camera to apologize for how police departments have misused his company's ALPR network. That's a rare admission from a surveillance vendor, and it only happened because of sustained public pressure, journalism, and communities pushing back on unchecked camera deployments in their towns.
But let's be clear-eyed about what a corporate apology actually buys the public. Flock is a private company whose business model depends on growing its camera footprint and keeping law enforcement contracts flowing. Policy changes announced in response to backlash can be reversed, loosened, or quietly ignored once the news cycle moves on. Internal company policy is not a substitute for binding local ordinances, audit trails, or independent oversight with teeth. An apology doesn't delete the data already collected, and it doesn't undo the precedent that a private vendor's cameras have become default infrastructure for tracking everyone's movements, not just suspects.
If you want to know whether Flock is already watching your street, check our map. And if your city is debating a contract renewal or expansion, that's exactly the leverage point where public comment actually changes outcomes — see how to push back before the next vote, not after.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of CiVL Dispatch, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.