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Flock CEO says its audio sensors detect just gunshots, but its website lists more
Flock CEO Garrett Langley said onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt that the company's gunshot detection microphones detect just gunshots. Flock's own website and FAQ say its audio systems can also detect fireworks, sideshows and severe car crashes. A company spokesperson later said the technology is primarily used for gunfire but can detect those other events too.
Key points
- Flock CEO Garrett Langley said its microphones detect just gunshots at TechCrunch Disrupt.
- Flock's website says the system also detects fireworks, sideshows and severe car crashes.
- Texas and Florida have moved to end relationships with Flock, and Ring ended its partnership.
What happened: Flock CEO Garrett Langley said at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco that the company's gunshot detection microphones pick up "just gunshots," TechCrunch reported. Protesters gathered outside the venue as he took the stage. Flock's website describes a wider range: it says its audio systems can pinpoint gunfire, detect street takeovers early, identify severe crashes in real time and alert people to fireworks and sideshows. Its FAQ says the detection library is "continually expanding."
Background: Flock announced the feature last year and first said it would listen for screaming. Privacy groups including the EFF criticized it for listening for human voices. Flock then changed its wording to "sounds of human distress" and later removed the distress detection for customers who had tried it. Langley said some customers with microphones in parking lots had asked for alerts about abductions or people being harmed, that the company prototyped this with a couple of customers, and that Flock made mistakes.
The details: Spokesperson Paris Lewbel said the technology is "primarily used to detect gunfire" but can also detect fireworks, sideshows and potential car crashes. She said Langley meant to stress that the product does not monitor conversations or analyze speech, and does not currently detect screaming or distress. Langley said Flock's microphone count is comparable to ShotSpotter's, which Wired reported at about 25,000 as of 2024.
Who it affects: The company faces wider scrutiny. The ACLU has criticized it, Texas and Florida have moved to end their relationships with Flock, and Amazon's Ring has ended its partnership with the company.
Our take
Teams buying AI sensing or surveillance tools should verify exactly what a system detects in writing, since sales claims and product documentation can differ.