Flock CEO Garrett Langley stated that the company's gunshot-detection microphones detect only gunshots, despite the company's website indicating a much broader audio capture capability. Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt, Langley defended the surveillance product, which listens for gunshots and ambient audio to provide earlier awareness of public safety events. Privacy groups have previously condemned the technology for listening for human voices and distress sounds, leading to pushback from the public and advocacy organizations like the ACLU.
Flock's website states that its systems can pinpoint gunfire while also detecting street takeovers, severe crashes, fireworks, and sideshows. While Langley maintained that the technology is limited to gunshots after prototyping features that listened for human harm, a company spokesperson clarified that the hardware is also capable of detecting fireworks, sideshows, and potential car crashes, though it is not designed to monitor conversations or analyze speech.
This controversy highlights the growing friction between surveillance tech providers and privacy advocates over mass monitoring tools.