Flock CEO Says Microphones Detect 'Just Gunshots' as Website Lists Broader Capabilities

CEO Defends Audio Detection Product

Flock CEO and co-founder Garrett Langley said at TechCrunch Disrupt that the company's gunshot-detection microphones detect "just gunshots." Speaking onstage with TechCrunch editor-in-chief Connie Loizos, Langley defended Flock's Gunshot Detection product, which listens for gunshots and other ambient audio across nearby neighborhoods to provide earlier awareness of potential public safety events.

"Most people don't call 911 when they hear a gunshot, and so that's why we built the product," Langley said. He explained that customers with devices in parking lots asked for alerts if someone was being abducted or harmed, so the company prototyped the capability and rolled it out to a couple of customers. After concerns emerged, he said the company told customers "it's just going to do gunshots, plain and simple."

Website Describes Broader Detection

Flock's website describes a wider set of capabilities. It says the audio systems can pinpoint gunfire instantly, detect street takeovers early to stop chaos before it escalates, identify severe crashes in real time, and expand awareness beyond gunfire with alerts for car crashes, fireworks, and sideshows. An FAQ section states that the detection library is continually expanding to include emerging threats relevant to customers' specific needs.

When asked about the contradiction between his remarks and the company's marketing materials, Langley responded, "It's just gunshots." Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel said the technology is primarily used to detect gunfire but is also capable of detecting fireworks, sideshows, and potential car crashes. She said the technology is not designed to monitor conversations or analyze speech and does not currently detect human screaming or distress.

Scrutiny and Privacy Concerns

The Gunshot Detection feature, announced last year, faced immediate pushback. Flock originally said the technology would listen out for sounds of "screaming," which privacy groups condemned. The company amended its website to instead say "sounds of human distress" and later pulled the ability to detect distress from customers who tried it.

Langley's comments come amid mounting scrutiny of Flock from privacy advocates, including the ACLU, and members of the public concerned about misuse of the technology. Protesters gathered outside the San Francisco venue as Langley took the stage. Texas and Florida have moved to end their relationships with Flock, and Amazon's Ring has ended its partnership with the company. Langley said the number of Flock's microphones is comparable to ShotSpotter, which had about 25,000 microphones as of 2024, per reporting by Wired.

Sources: TechCrunch