Science & Technology

Can a Camera on Every Corner Make Us Safer? | Garrett Langley | TED

Garrett Langley founded Flock because of a basic frustration: it was too easy to get away with crime in the US. His solution — a network of license plate readers, cameras, drones and audio sensors — has changed how police departments investigate crime, while also raising urgent questions about safety, surveillance and privacy. In this…

Published

on

Garrett Langley founded Flock because of a basic frustration: it was too easy to get away with crime in the US. His solution — a network of license plate readers, cameras, drones and audio sensors — has changed how police departments investigate crime, while also raising urgent questions about safety, surveillance and privacy. In this talk, Langley addresses the controversy around this widely debated technology and makes the case for why it will make the world safer. (Followed by a Q&A with TED Chairman Chris Anderson and a note from TED guest curator Bilawal Sidhu) (Recorded at TED2026 on April 14, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #AI #Surveillance

31 Comments

  1. @TED

    July 17, 2026 at 11:38 am

    TED publishes ideas that shape global conversations, and we welcome respectful and productive debate about topics presented on the stage. Read TED’s Curation Guidelines:

    • @Bing_thebrowser

      July 17, 2026 at 2:51 pm

      @TED You guys would love Theo Von’s podcast

    • @festeringwound

      July 17, 2026 at 4:09 pm

      @TED Funny telling us to be respectful of mass surveillance. This Garrett guy is an enemy to humanity.

    • @thetemplar8695

      July 17, 2026 at 4:28 pm

      @festeringwound Funny. He’s done more in saving people from criminals and crime than 99.9% of Americans. But go ahead, throw away your phone, your iwatch, even your car…because everytime you plug your phone in to charge, everything is ripped to your cars computer. And….LE (with a warrant) and criminals (no warrant) can obtain that sitting next to you via Bluetooth.
      Criminals avoid areas with cameras. And fyi, surveillance cameras were implemented because of store robbery’s and shoplifting.

      Key note: don’t commit crimes and you won’t have a problem.

    • @Bluth53

      July 17, 2026 at 4:29 pm

      The idea of mass surveillance is lovely idea to discuss. I promise I’ll try not to criticize people like former Gestapo or Stasi officers like my forefathers…

  2. @patsplat

    July 17, 2026 at 3:52 pm

    Nope

  3. @BabylonRose71

    July 17, 2026 at 3:59 pm

    🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

  4. @xeptix

    July 17, 2026 at 3:59 pm

    Get lost, Garrett. Your emotional anecdotes will not convince those who still possess their critical thinking faculties to be ok with your AI omniscient surveillance agenda. You’d put cameras in my bedroom and bathroom if it were legal, just so you could sell that data to the highest bidder.

  5. @BabylonRose71

    July 17, 2026 at 4:00 pm

    Fear mongering, greedy SOB

  6. @Michael-xr5yx

    July 17, 2026 at 4:04 pm

    please post Garrett’s home address and current location if you know it – I’m sure he won’t mind. it’s for safety.

    • @thetemplar8695

      July 17, 2026 at 5:12 pm

      Post yours first. Thats called PII. You are comparing public domain to private domain. You have no privacy once you step away from your property. (Well in bathrooms and changing rooms)

    • @Michael-xr5yx

      July 17, 2026 at 5:16 pm

      @thetemplar8695 Flock is absolutely building a profile on you that includes your personal address. no difference.

  7. @festeringwound

    July 17, 2026 at 4:12 pm

    TED Talks just branded themselves an enemy of the US population. Wild

  8. @FloatingPercussions

    July 17, 2026 at 4:20 pm

    Absolute joke of a TED talk.. this channel used to mean something like others said.

  9. @honeyLXIX

    July 17, 2026 at 4:22 pm

    Respectfully 😊 no thank you.

  10. @honeyLXIX

    July 17, 2026 at 4:23 pm

    1984 ❤

  11. @alyosha917

    July 17, 2026 at 4:29 pm

    This ghoul will pay for his crimes. If not in his life, then the next. Hope hellfire awaits.

  12. @pablomancias

    July 17, 2026 at 4:54 pm

    I would like actual evidence that the story is true first. Second, I wanna know this man’s voting record being from Atlanta. I want to know what is voting record is. That’s all I wanna know because then we’ll know actual motivation for creating this technology.

  13. @XxGhost141xX

    July 17, 2026 at 4:56 pm

    I hope people don’t immediately succumb to crime fatigue and trade it in for government surveillance. The immediate solution they’re offering is a short term fix that will turn into a long problem.

  14. @betopatricio3942

    July 17, 2026 at 5:03 pm

    TED is violating YouTube TOS by not stating that this is a sponsored post/ad

  15. @Lilmonke_586

    July 17, 2026 at 5:10 pm

    “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” – Benjamin Franklin, founding father.

  16. @ExistentialWolf

    July 17, 2026 at 5:43 pm

    Cameras do nothing. Sounds like you have slopes hahahaha 😀 They don’t live as long, try subdermal RF tags. The slopes are just changing their batteries, b/c they think someone might mention drones for the “RF” comment. ¦’D Tssssssssss. ts

  17. @kamrenangelle9918

    July 17, 2026 at 6:29 pm

    No cameras dont make anyone safer. Prisons have lots of cameras and are one of the most dangerous places you can be. The is just bs mass surveillance wrapped as “safty”.

  18. @kamrenangelle9918

    July 17, 2026 at 6:31 pm

    Flock is a dirty dirty company if you take the time to look into them.

  19. @za_wavbit

    July 17, 2026 at 6:44 pm

    If you wanna save 15 minutes, the answer is no. Just remember the guy doing the talking is the one selling the cameras, and he called people opposing his mass surveillance company “terrorists.”

    • @chasemer6

      July 17, 2026 at 9:26 pm

      @za_wavbit the timing of this video is sus. It’s no secret that Flock is making waves on a local news level, and the citizens are not happy about it.

  20. @jennyjenjen9180

    July 17, 2026 at 7:05 pm

    Whoever gave this fool a Ted talk needs to be fired immediately

  21. @Rudykawa

    July 17, 2026 at 7:37 pm

    Honestly this was less of a ted talk and more of a sales pitch or disguised ad.

  22. @Jasonxbr

    July 17, 2026 at 9:05 pm

    Yes look at china 🇨🇳- a surveillance state😢😢😢😢😢

  23. @michaelbartell1166

    July 17, 2026 at 9:08 pm

    How stupid when we will have 10 million robots, cameras are obsolete.❤😂🎉😢😮😅😊

  24. @Red88Rex

    July 17, 2026 at 9:19 pm

    Love seeing everyone destroying these things 😂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending

Exit mobile version