Amazon’s Ring Ends Partnership with Surveillance Firm After Backlash
Kali Hays, Technology Reporter
Amazon’s smart doorbell company, Ring, has decided to terminate its partnership with a surveillance firm following significant scrutiny over privacy concerns. This decision halts a deal unveiled in October between Ring and Flock Safety, a company that operates a network of cameras and license plate readers used mainly by law enforcement agencies across the U.S.
Details of the Termination
– The partnership would have allowed police agencies using Flock to access video captured by Ring devices for investigations, provided that customers consented.
– Ring’s decision came just days after a controversial advertisement aired during the Super Bowl, which many viewers deemed creepy.
– In their announcement, Ring cited that the Flock partnership would have required significantly more time and resources than anticipated.
– They clarified that the integration with Flock’s systems never launched, meaning no customer videos were shared with Flock Safety.
Flock Safety stated in an email to the BBC that the cancellation was mutual, emphasizing, We believe this decision allows both companies to best serve their respective customers and communities.
Privacy Concerns and Public Backlash
Ring, which Amazon acquired in 2018, has faced ongoing criticism regarding its privacy practices. The decision to partner with Flock sparked renewed scrutiny, particularly in light of former President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration policies.
The Super Bowl ad promoting Ring’s Search Party feature revealed a neighborhood of Ring users collaborating to find a lost dog—an approach criticized as indicative of dystopian surveillance. Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, urged Amazon to abandon its monitoring features, calling for Americans to oppose what he described as this creepy surveillance state.
– The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a non-profit organization advocating for digital rights, described the ad as a facade for a feature that could enable biometric identification, raising alarms about the potential for tracking individuals, pets, and more.
– Social media quickly erupted in mockery following the commercial. Competitor Wyze even released a parody video, humorously asserting, We could use this technology to find literally anyone, but we only use this technology to find lost dogs, garnering nearly 100,000 views on YouTube.
The Bigger Picture
While Ring’s Search Party feature is not directly associated with Flock, both companies face challenges regarding public trust related to privacy practices and their collaboration with law enforcement.
Founded in 2017, Flock has rapidly expanded, claiming to have its cameras and license plate readers operational in over 5,000 U.S. cities as of last year. The announcement of its partnership with Ring came shortly after Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, criticized Flock for not doing enough to prevent the misuse of its cameras, particularly in the context of immigration enforcement and laws targeting women’s reproductive rights. Flock has denied such allegations.
In addition, Ring has also cooperated with law enforcement, stating it receives thousands of requests for footage from agencies every year, complying with those requests as required by law.
Conclusion
The cancellation of Ring’s partnership with Flock Safety underscores the growing concerns surrounding privacy in the realm of surveillance technology. As public scrutiny intensifies, both Ring and Flock must navigate the delicate balance between providing security and protecting individual privacy rights.