Contradictory Claims on Audio Detection
Flock CEO Garrett Langley said the company’s gunshot-detection microphones detect “just gunshots,” but Flock’s website paints a far broader picture of what other ambient audio also gets picked up.
Speaking onstage at an industry event, the co-founder of the surveillance company defended Flock’s audio-collection product called Gunshot Detection, which listens for gunshots and other ambient audio across nearby neighborhoods to provide earlier awareness to potential public safety events.
Flock’s website states that the company’s audio systems can pinpoint gunfire instantly, while also being able to detect street takeovers early and identify severe crashes in real time. It also indicates they can expand awareness beyond gunfire with alerts for car crashes, fireworks, and sideshows.
Privacy Backlash and Feature Reversals
The company’s Gunshot Detection feature, introduced previously, faced immediate pushback. In announcing the feature, Flock said the technology would listen out for sounds of screaming. Privacy groups condemned the company for listening for human voices, prompting the website to instead reference sounds of human distress. Flock later removed the ability to detect distress from its deployment.
During the interview, Langley pushed back against criticism of his product, arguing that many detractors misunderstand how the technology operates. Public opinion continues to shift against Flock and other automated monitoring companies amid growing unease regarding mass surveillance.
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Customer Demand Versus Scope
Langley noted that many individuals do not report single gunshots immediately, which motivated the product development. He added that certain customers requested capabilities to detect potential abductions or physical harm in parking facilities.
Langley stated that the concept was prototyped and provided to select clients, though it generated substantial concern. Langley acknowledged missteps while emphasizing responsiveness to customer feedback.
Langley clarified that only a few clients participated in the prototype phase, and the system's operational scope was restricted strictly to gunshots.
When asked about the contradiction between his remarks and the company’s marketing materials indicating broader detection capabilities, he reiterated that the system detects only gunshots.
Official Statements and Specifications
A Flock spokesperson clarified that while the technology is primarily used to detect gunfire, it is also capable of identifying fireworks, sideshows, and potential car crashes. The representative emphasized that the audio detection architecture is not designed to monitor conversations, analyze speech, or currently detect human distress.
Website documentation notes that the detection library is continuously expanded to include emerging threats relevant to customer specifications.
Langley stated that the total deployment of Flock microphones is comparable in scale to competing gunshot detection networks such as ShotSpotter.
Industry Scrutiny
The executive's comments arrive amid intensifying scrutiny from privacy advocates, including the ACLU, and public pushback involving the vandalism of surveillance infrastructure. Several state agencies and corporate partners have also moved to terminate relationships with the firm.
