A16z Wants Your Crypto Private and Your Car Tracked by Flock

Key Takeaways

• A16z backs Flock’s surveillance network while its crypto arm champions financial privacy.
• Flock has faced growing backlash, with hundreds of contracts terminated amid privacy concerns.
• The contrasting investments highlight a tension between public safety, surveillance and privacy.

A16z Stance On Privacy And Flock Explained

As the fight over Flock automated license plate readers (ALPRs) heats up in the U.S., with protests, new and terminated contracts, cameras removed by citizens, and lawsuits, A16z continues to defend its investment in the company. On Sept. 10, for example, David Ulevitch, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz who led investments in Flock, accused Reason magazine of “posting clickbait to enrage people” after the outlet mentioned Flock in a post about surveillance cameras. Meanwhile, on Sept. 1, the official @a16z account posted a video titled “Flock eliminates crime. Decline is a choice,” defending the company and explaining how it helps fight crime.

Vigilant Protections and Partner Stalking

“Flock is the bridge that can take us from the subjective policing of the past to the more objective policing of the future, where crimes are solved, criminals deterred, and innocent communities protected,” Ulevitch and Alex Immerman, another general partner at A16z, wrote in a piece defending Flock in April.