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Flock Safety is offering voluntary severance packages to employees as the surveillance technology company faces growing public backlash and the loss of government customers across the United States.

According to an internal email obtained by WIRED, Flock launched a voluntary separation program on September 18, giving employees until October 2 to apply. The company expects to approve most applications, and people familiar with the situation believe a significant number of Flock’s roughly 1,500 employees could choose to leave. (WIRED)

The move comes during a difficult period for the company, whose automated license plate recognition cameras have become increasingly controversial because of concerns over privacy, data sharing, and potential misuse by law enforcement.

Flock has built a large network of cameras capable of automatically recording vehicles and license plates and making that information searchable by participating law enforcement agencies.

But opposition to the network has accelerated during 2026. An advocacy group identified 93 city and county governments that cut ties with Flock during August alone, according to WIRED. Across 2026, roughly three times as many local governments have dropped the company compared with the previous five years combined. (WIRED)

The company has also faced reports involving alleged misuse of its technology by police officers, extensive sharing of camera data between agencies, questions surrounding where its hardware is manufactured, and scrutiny of how much information individual cameras actually collect.

The loss of contracts could put pressure on Flock’s revenue targets. Meanwhile, vandalism targeting its cameras has reportedly created additional unexpected expenses. (WIRED)

Flock described the voluntary separation package internally as the most generous it has offered.

Some employees have reportedly received offers worth tens of thousands of dollars, alongside several months of healthcare coverage. Departing employees would also receive up to two years to exercise their stock options, considerably longer than the period normally available after resigning. (WIRED)

Employees are expected to learn whether their applications have been accepted on October 9. Most successful applicants would leave by October 29, although some could be asked to remain for another one to three months.

People familiar with the situation told WIRED that without the voluntary departures, layoffs would likely become necessary. There is also internal speculation that Flock could eventually consider selling parts or all of its business, although the company has not announced such a plan. (WIRED)

Flock raised capital earlier this year at a valuation exceeding $8 billion and has reportedly raised around $1.2 billion in venture funding overall.

The controversy surrounding Flock is not only affecting customers.

CEO Garrett Langley acknowledged in August that one of the biggest consequences of the backlash has been its impact on employee morale. Workers have watched criticism of the company intensify across social media while Flock’s cameras have increasingly become targets of protests and vandalism. (WIRED)

At the same time, Flock continues expanding beyond traditional license plate readers.

The company has developed AI-powered investigative technology capable of analyzing movement patterns and searching police records and other datasets. WIRED has also identified tools designed to continuously search camera feeds for people matching written descriptions, as well as potential integrations involving drones and other surveillance systems. (WIRED)

The voluntary buyout program therefore arrives at a critical moment for Flock. The company remains a major player in US surveillance technology, but growing resistance from local governments, privacy advocates, and communities is beginning to translate into lost contracts, higher costs, and pressure inside the company itself.

Whether the buyouts are primarily a way to reduce costs or part of a broader restructuring remains unclear. What is evident is that the political and public debate surrounding automated surveillance is increasingly becoming a business problem for the companies that provide it.