Garrett Langley, CEO of automatic license plate reader company Flock, told police chiefs at a private conference that anti-Flock protests are not real, according to leaked audio from 404 Media. Langley claimed social media opposition is driven by Russian bots and suggested anti-Flock sentiment is coordinated by foreign networks. He stated that social media chatter about Flock has dropped 95 percent from July and claimed a 50 percent decrease overnight following drone strikes on a Russian data center.
Langley also mentioned his wife advised him never to apologize. The comments were made at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in Orlando, Florida. Flock makes ALPR technology that scans vehicles and creates timestamped logs of movements.
The company has faced extensive scrutiny over police abuse, false arrests, and immigration enforcement. Dozens of cities have canceled contracts with Flock in the last 18 months. Langley previously apologized for calling a mapping group a "terroristic organization." The session was framed as a discussion on ALPR opportunities, challenges, and public debate involving over 16,000 public safety officials.
A recent count put Flock's national network at around 80,000 cameras.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing