Flock CEO says drones are 'probably our fastest growing business', but consumer rights groups say they can 'jeopardize privacy' like license plate readers | Tech Radar
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Flock CEO says drones are 'probably our fastest growing business', but consumer rights groups say they can 'jeopardize privacy' like license plate readers
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Flock drones are already in use in some US cities (Image credit: Flock)
The drones are deployed in first responder situations
While the public backlash against Flock's camera technology continues, it seems it's not damaging the company's bottom line too much: Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley says that drones are "probably our fastest growing business right now", accounting for just under half of forward-looking revenue at the last count.
The comments were made on The All-In Podcast (via Business Insider), in a wide-ranging interview that covered AI, facial recognition, the criticism that Flock is facing, and how the company is improving on safety and misuse. Default data retention for Flock's license plate readers has now been reduced from 30 days to 7 days, for example.
On the drones, these flying machines are being sold to law enforcement agencies and local authorities as DFRs — Drones as First Responders. The idea is that a drone can take off and weigh up a potentially volatile situation before police officers can get there, leading to valuable intel being gathered as quickly as possible.
Langley actually gives an example in his interview: an emergency report in the Dallas-Fort Worth area about a man brandishing a gun. A drone was dispatched, found that the 'gun' was actually a large lighter, and the incident was de-escalated before any face-to-face confrontation had happened.
🚨ALL-IN INTERVIEW: Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley joins @Jason ! All-In Interview Series is brought to you by:@App Lovin & @numeral @glangley covers:-- The Real Price of Safety vs. Privacy-- Why People Are Cutting the Cameras Down-- Who Really Gets Your License… pic.twitter.com/p Izc 4 Fs I5b August 18, 2026
🚨ALL-IN INTERVIEW: Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley joins @Jason ! All-In Interview Series is brought to you by:@App Lovin & @numeral @glangley covers:-- The Real Price of Safety vs. Privacy-- Why People Are Cutting the Cameras Down-- Who Really Gets Your License… pic.twitter.com/p Izc 4 Fs I5b August 18, 2026
Despite Flock's insistence that its drones and license plate readers are more helpful than harmful, privacy groups continue to question the guidelines in place around the technology, and the potential for misuse. The company says it's working hard to stop its cameras being used for unauthorized spying, as has happened in the past.
California city approves the use of Flock drones as first responders
Flock CEO says 'we're not Big Brother' in the face of surveillance claims
Wisconsin officials cover Flock cameras with trash bags amid privacy concerns
Without proper oversight, the worry is that drones will be used for an increasing number of surveillance tasks — and not always with the right oversight. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has said that the adoption of drones like the ones Flock sells "jeopardizes privacy in communities across the country".
That's particularly true when automated AI is involved, or vulnerable people are targeted, the EFF suggests. Meanwhile, American Civil Liberties Union analyst Jay Stanley has written about multiple concerns with drones: their use for intimidation and surveillance, a lack of proper oversight, and a squeezing out of consumer drone operations.
Judging by the reactions to The All-In Podcast interview, the general public — or at least those on X — aren't happy about the increased use of drones as first responders,. even if Flock's CEO is. "Do not normalize mass surveillance," comments one user, summing up the overall feeling on the thread.
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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on Tech Radar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, Pop Sci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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