Ring has canceled its partnership with Flock Security, after receiving backlash for operating a Tremendous Bowl advert touting its Search Get together characteristic. Should you’ll recall, Ring revealed again in October 2025 that it was getting into a partnership with the surveillance firm, which might make it attainable for legislation enforcement to ask good doorbell homeowners for movies captured by their gadgets. In its announcement, the corporate mentioned that the “deliberate Flock Security integration would require considerably extra time and assets than anticipated.” The choice to name off the partnership was mutual, Ring added, and Flock Security’s integration was by no means launched. Apparently, no Ring buyer footage was ever despatched to Flock.
Underneath the partnership, legislation enforcement companies utilizing Flock's Nova platform or FlockOS would have been in a position to make use of Ring’s Neighborhood Requests to ask for doorbell movies from customers. They might have been requested to specify the placement and timeframe of the incident, in addition to present a novel investigation code and the small print about what’s being investigated. Their requests would then be forwarded to related customers, who might select to share footage from their doorbell. Ring mentioned the entire course of would have been nameless and non-compulsory.
Ring was recognized to have shared safety cam movies to legislation enforcement with out a courtroom order or the gadget proprietor’s consent a minimum of 11 occasions up to now. In 2024, nevertheless, it appeared to have walked again its police-friendly stance and mentioned that it might cease sharing movies with the police with out a warrant. This alliance with Flock would have marked a return to police collaboration after the corporate distanced itself from legislation enforcement. Flock is thought for its computerized license plate readers and for centralizing the data it collects right into a database that police can search with out a warrant. Whereas legislation enforcement says the system may also help them clear up crimes like kidnapping. 404Media reported final yr that ICE has been utilizing the database, citing immigration-related causes.
Whereas Ring’s official cause was that the Flock partnership would wish extra assets than anticipated, it’s value noting that the corporate not too long ago acquired flak for its Tremendous Bowl Search Get together advert. Ring touted it as a option to discover misplaced canines through the use of its cameras’ AI to establish pets operating throughout their sight view after which pooling feeds collectively to establish lacking pets. Whereas Search Get together isn’t new and was introduced final yr, the advert sparked considerations about surveillance and the way the tech might be misused, main customers to disable the characteristic for his or her cameras altogether.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/house/ring-calls-off-partnership-with-police-surveillance-provider-flock-safety-031717605.html?src=rss