Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Flock Cuts 18% of Staff as Privacy Backlash Grows
Surveillance company Flock is cutting 18% of its workforce, about 270 employees. The employees are leaving at the end of October following a voluntary separation program, which a company spokesperson described as generous. Flock declined to say whether chief executive Garrett Langley took a pay cut. The reductions come as backlash grows over the company’s more than 100,000 license plate-reading cameras across the U.S. Dozens of police officers have been arrested, fired or forced to resign for abusing system access to stalk people without warrants, and several law enforcement departments, including the LAPD, have let contracts expire.
Sources: TechCrunch
ACLU Files California Complaint Over Emotify Hiring Assessment Tool
The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Northern California filed a complaint with California’s Civil Rights Department against Criteria Corp., alleging its Emotify hiring assessment may unlawfully screen out autistic applicants. Emotify evaluates emotional intelligence through matching games, prediction games and problem-solving scenarios. The ACLU contends it parallels clinical diagnostic tools for autism so closely that it amounts to a prohibited disability-related medical examination under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, and says it gives candidates too little information to request accommodations. The complaint also raises concerns about Criteria’s Cognify cognitive aptitude assessment. Criteria did not respond to requests for comment.
Labor Department Suspends Microsoft, Adobe and Major IT Outsourcers From PERM Program
The U.S. Department of Labor suspended several of the largest IT outsourcing firms, including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe, from the Permanent Labor Certification Program on October 8. Department of Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the action, and Microsoft and Adobe face suspension due to active federal investigations. Vice President J.D. Vance alleged Microsoft eliminated 6,000 jobs while obtaining H-1B visa approvals. Microsoft responded that 80% of its H-1B applications were to extend or change the status of existing employees. President Trump presented Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation the same day.
DHS Proposes $70,000 College Fee for Initial Optional Practical Training
The Department of Homeland Security has proposed charging colleges $70,000 for each international student seeking initial Optional Practical Training authorization, plus $30,000 for extensions, potentially reaching $100,000 per student. Colleges currently recommend students for OPT without a fee. DHS said institutions could pass the cost on to students or employers, and said that without the fees it may shut down the program entirely, citing fraud concerns. OPT participation grew from roughly 120,000 students a decade ago to about 294,000 in 2024-25. A 30-day public comment period begins after Federal Register publication, with implementation planned 60 days after a final rule.
Automattic Loses Interim CFO Weeks After Boardroom Shakeup
Automattic’s interim chief financial officer, Jeremy Klaperman, resigned after less than a month in the role. Klaperman, previously CFO of Automattic’s VIP Enterprise business unit, was upset the board was considering external candidates for the job. A disagreement with CEO Matt Mullenweg over a work project related to employee performance reviews led to his demotion back to his former position, and he resigned shortly thereafter. The exit follows a September boardroom crisis in which the board tried to place Mullenweg on leave; within 33 hours he retook control and the entire board was removed. The company is still conducting an external search for a CFO.
Sources: TechCrunch
AutoNation Names Chief Technology and AI Officer in Fortune 500 Executive Moves
Fortune’s weekly Fortune 500 Power Moves roundup for October 3-9 lists AutoNation’s appointment of Ravi Simhambhatla as Chief Technology and AI Officer. He was previously executive vice president and chief digital officer at Avis Budget Group and held roles at Google, Tesla and United Airlines. Lithia Motors promoted Katie Macaddino to Chief People Officer; she was previously senior vice president of people and culture. General Dynamics appointed Danny Deep CEO effective January 1, 2027, succeeding Phebe Novakovic, who will become executive chairman. Stryker named Spencer Stiles CEO effective the same date.
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency