Garrett Langley, the chief executive of Flock, told police chiefs in a private conference call that the protests against his surveillance company are not real. This statement comes after leaked audio obtained by 404 Media showed Langley dismissing the backlash, claiming social media opposition is driven by Russian bots and that the movement consists of the same people using identical signs.
Claims made in closed-door audio
Langley addressed an audience of police chiefs at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday. The event runs from Saturday to Tuesday and attracts more than 16,000 public safety officials.
According to the recording, the CEO asserted that anti-Flock sentiment on social networks had dropped by 95 per cent since July. He attributed this decline to a Russian data center being struck by a Ukrainian drone, noting a 50 per cent drop in chatter occurred overnight following that attack.
“It’s anonymous bots, and so it is not real,” Langley said. He argued that while inorganic activity might spark organic discussion, the current protests across the country are not normal. He claimed the participants are the same individuals with the same messages.
This assertion contradicts the reality that communities are actively cancelling contracts and covering cameras. Langley also stated his wife advised him never to apologise and that he would prefer to stop giving press interviews. He suggested that paid actors were behind the criticism, a theory he repeated despite evidence to the contrary.
These remarks echo previous unsubstantiated claims that the opposition to Flock technology is a smear campaign funded by China or driven by a far-left network.
Context on recent legal issues
Langley has previously made false statements regarding his surveillance technology’s role in tracking a woman who self-administered an abortion. He told law enforcement that 404 Media’s reporting on that incident was entirely false.
The company’s automatic license plate reader systems have faced significant public scrutiny, leading to tangible consequences such as contract cancellations and the physical removal of cameras from public spaces.
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What it means
Langley’s comments highlight a disconnect between the company’s internal assessment of its reputation and the reality on the ground. The audio suggests he is relying on outdated theories about bot activity to explain a very real and organised public backlash.
