Flock CEO's Misleading Statements Surface in Abortion Case Discussions

In a recent call with Ohio law enforcement, Flock's CEO Garrett Langley made a series of questionable claims regarding his company's surveillance technology and its involvement in tracking a woman who had self-administered an abortion. Despite ample evidence, including court records and police reports, Langley asserted that the coverage by 404 Media on the incident was "entirely false."

The conversation, recorded by journalist Doug Brown from Signal Akron, revealed Langley's strategic approach to managing the narrative surrounding Flock, particularly in light of the ongoing scrutiny of the company's practices. Instead of addressing the allegations directly, Langley suggested that law enforcement focus on local media and share emotionally charged stories, saying, "Let me handle The New York Times, you handle your local media. They want to hear from you, you know your reporters, they’ll pick up a sob story."

Central to the controversy is a case reported by 404 Media in May 2025, detailing how authorities in Texas searched Flock cameras nationwide in an attempt to locate a woman who had self-administered an abortion. Langley claimed that it was not illegal for the woman to have an abortion, thus she could not be under investigation. However, records obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) indicate otherwise, showing discussions among Texas authorities about potentially charging her on the same day as the Flock search.

Langley further suggested that 404 Media should have conducted a thorough investigation, alleging that the woman was in an abusive relationship and her family was concerned for her safety. But police documents contradict this, revealing that the investigation was initiated by her abusive partner, who did not alert authorities until weeks after the abortion.

In his remarks, Langley seemed to misinterpret the timeline and the nature of the police investigation, which was initially categorized as a "death investigation." The sheriff involved in the case stated that his office was concerned for the woman's health, although the Flock search occurred more than two weeks after the abortion took place.

When 404 Media sought clarification on Langley's claims, Flock's public relations manager Paris Lewbel reiterated that the court documents showed the woman could not face charges, failing to address the discussions that had taken place regarding potential charges.

Langley's public statements have often been contradictory. In a September interview, he labeled DeFlock, an open-source map of Flock camera locations, as a "terroristic organization," a comment he later retracted. He has also faced criticism for dismissing public concerns raised during city council meetings, while simultaneously leading efforts to lobby at nearly 10,000 such meetings last year.

Additionally, former Flock employee Jonathan Paz revealed that he was misled about the company's collaboration with ICE, claiming he was told no such partnership existed, despite evidence to the contrary. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also documented instances of deception by Flock, including misleading statements made during city council meetings.

In response to criticism, Lewbel stated that any miscommunication, such as that which occurred in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was promptly corrected, asserting that Flock aims to be transparent about its products. However, the pattern of misleading statements raises significant concerns about the integrity of Flock's communications and their implications for privacy and surveillance practices.

Source: www.404media.co