Ring Cancels Its Partnership With Flock Safety After Surveillance Backlash
Source: Slashdot
Ring Cancels Partnership with Flock Safety
Background
Following intense backlash to its partnership with Flock Safety—a surveillance‑technology company that works with law‑enforcement agencies—Ring announced it is canceling the integration.
Official Statement
In a statement published on Ring’s blog and provided to The Verge ahead of publication, the company said:
“Following a comprehensive review, we determined the planned Flock Safety integration would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated. We therefore made the joint decision to cancel the integration and continue with our current partners … The integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety.”
Public Reaction
Over the last few weeks, Ring has faced significant public anger over its connection to Flock. Users have been encouraged to smash their cameras, and some have announced on social media that they are throwing away their Ring devices. The Flock partnership was announced last October, but recent unrest across the country related to ICE activities amplified public pressure against the Amazon‑owned Ring’s involvement with the company.
Concerns About ICE Access
Flock has reportedly allowed ICE and other federal agencies to access its network of surveillance cameras, and influencers across social media have claimed that Ring is providing a direct link to ICE.