AUSTIN, Texas — A recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” put police technology company Flock Safety into the national spotlight as host Joe Rogan and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen discussed Austin’s recent multi-location shooting spree and the city’s use — and later suspension — of Flock camera systems.
During the episode, Andreessen referenced a violent incident involving two teens accused of stealing vehicles, switching cars and shooting at multiple locations across Austin. The suspects, ages 15 and 17, were later arrested.
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Andreessen, whose venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz has invested in Flock Safety, argued the incident highlighted the value of automated license plate reader technology in criminal investigations.
“So, these guys are driving around in cars … they went to like a dozen locations,” Andreessen said on the podcast. “Austin had Flock and then turned it off. And as a consequence, they were not able to find these guys for several days.”
According to Andreessen, the suspects were located after driving into a nearby jurisdiction where Flock technology remained active.
“Flock tagged them the minute they drove into that town and then they caught the guys,” he said.
Flock Safety systems use automated license plate readers and camera technology to help agencies identify vehicles connected to investigations. Andreessen described the technology as capable of identifying vehicles not only by plate number but also by distinguishing characteristics.
“It solves crimes every day,” Andreessen said. “Carjackings with kids in the back seat … their lives get saved because they track them down.”
Throughout the discussion, Rogan raised concerns about privacy, surveillance and potential government misuse of the technology.
“The concern is mass surveillance, right?” Rogan asked. “The concern is that someone’s going to abuse this.”
Andreessen acknowledged those concerns, saying safeguards and oversight are necessary.
“If you had corrupt city officials, then they could use it for bad things,” Andreessen said. “There’s a completely legitimate question — what should be the controls? What should be the penalties if somebody abuses it?”
Rogan also questioned whether systems like Flock could include auditing tools that track how data is accessed.
Andreessen responded that systems already log activity, but emphasized the broader debate mirrors longstanding legal questions surrounding search authority and oversight.
The conversation also expanded into ShotSpotter technology, crime reporting and public trust in policing data. Andreessen criticized cities that have reduced or removed certain surveillance tools, while Rogan argued many residents no longer believe official claims that crime is decreasing.
“One of the things we’ve learned when you deal with politicians in particular that want to talk about crime statistics — crime is down, incorrect. Crime reporting is down,” Rogan said.
The nearly three-hour podcast later shifted into broader discussions about AI, politics and technology, but the Austin shooting spree and Flock debate remained one of the episode’s central public safety discussions.
The discussion comes as Flock Safety has increasingly emphasized transparency and accountability as concerns over surveillance technology continue to grow. During a TED2026 presentation titled “Safety is a Fundamental Right,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley highlighted the company’s audit logging, retention policies and agency-controlled data systems as safeguards designed to address privacy concerns.
Langley said agencies control their own data, most systems automatically delete records after 30 days and every search conducted within the system is permanently logged.
“If an officer runs a plate, there is an audit trail,” Langley said during the presentation. “Last year, three law enforcement officers were arrested for misusing our system … But in each of those cases, our own audit logs found it.”
Flock also recently launched a new Trust & Compliance suite that includes tools aimed at helping agencies monitor system use and strengthen accountability measures.
During the TED2026 talk, Langley pointed to several examples of the technology’s real-world impact, including a missing child case in Tennessee and a Colorado robbery investigation in which integrated alerts and drone deployment helped officers arrest a suspect within 21 minutes.
The Austin discussion reflects a broader national conversation many agencies continue navigating: balancing investigative technology with public concerns about privacy and accountability.
