Ring Kills Flock Partnership After Privacy Backlash
Amazon's Ring pulls the plug on a deal that would have let cops request doorbell footage from users.
Ring just backed away from a partnership that had privacy advocates seeing red. The Amazon-owned doorbell company has canceled its planned integration with Flock, a surveillance technology firm that works with law enforcement agencies.
The deal would have allowed police to request video footage directly from Ring doorbell users — a concept that drew immediate and sustained pushback. Weeks of mounting pressure from critics forced Ring's hand.
A controversial Super Bowl ad didn't help matters. The ad drew additional scrutiny to Ring's cozy relationship with surveillance infrastructure, pouring fuel on an already raging fire.
Ring has previously faced heat over its law enforcement partnerships. The company ended its Neighbors program's direct police request feature back in 2024. This latest reversal suggests Amazon still hasn't figured out where the line sits between smart home convenience and mass surveillance.