Ring, the doorbell camera manufacturer owned by Amazon, has terminated its partnership with Flock Safety, a company that provides automated licence plate reading services. This decision follows rising public concern in the United States about how these technologies could lead to surveillance by artificial intelligence (AI) and law enforcement.
In a statement released on Thursday, Ring explained that a review revealed that integrating Flock Safety would require more time and resources than initially expected. The company clarified that because the integration was never implemented, no videos from Ring users were shared with Flock Safety.
Despite this, Ring’s statement did not address the contentious “Search Party” feature, which has faced criticism for its potential misuse. While Flock Safety is under scrutiny for its technology supporting agencies like ICE and US Border Patrol, it remains uncertain how ending the partnership will influence Rings’ existing features.
The controversy intensified after Ring aired a Super Bowl advertisement featuring its “Search Party” feature. The ad depicted a fictional family using a network of Ring cameras to locate their lost dog. While this feature, promoted by Ring’s CEO Jamie Siminoff, is meant for pets, critics argue that it can easily be adapted for tracking people.
Privacy advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have expressed concerns that Ring’s technology, which already features facial recognition, could lead to broader surveillance capabilities. Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey condemned the ad on social media, highlighting the lack of consent for using such data.
In response to the backlash, a Ring spokesperson asserted that the “Search Party” feature is intended for pets and does not currently process human identities.
