Summary
Amazon's Ring, a company that makes smart doorbells, has decided to end its partnership with Flock Safety, a surveillance firm, after concerns over privacy and public outcry. The partnership, announced last October, would have allowed law enforcement agencies to access Ring video footage via Flock Safety’s systems. The decision to cancel came after criticism and concerns about privacy and surveillance.
Key Facts
- Amazon's Ring decided to stop working with Flock Safety after privacy concerns and public criticism.
- Flock Safety operates cameras and license plate readers used mostly by police.
- The partnership was supposed to allow police to access Ring video footage for investigations, if allowed by customers.
- A recent Ring advertisement during the Super Bowl received backlash for being seen as "creepy."
- Ring announced that the integration with Flock never started, so no videos were shared.
- The decision to end the partnership was mutual, according to Flock.
- Ring has faced attention over its privacy policies in the past.
- Ring and Flock have both dealt with public distrust over privacy and their work with law enforcement.
