Amazon's Ring Cancels Flock Safety Tie-Up After Super Bowl Backlash
Ring said Thursday the planned Flock Safety integration never launched and no customer videos were shared, after a Super Bowl ad for a Search Party feature prompted privacy concerns.
Overview
Ring said Thursday it canceled the planned integration with Flock Safety, saying the work would require significantly more time and resources and that the integration never launched.
The move followed a Super Bowl ad for a Search Party feature that critics said previewed expanded neighborhood surveillance, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation warned in a Feb. 10 blog post.
Flock and Ring said the cancellation was mutual, with Flock saying it never received any Ring customer videos and Ring defending its optional Community Requests feature as core to its mission.
Flock works with an estimated 6,000 communities and 5,000 law enforcement agencies, smart doorbells are in an estimated 27% of U.S. households, and the ad was seen by over 120 million people.
Ring said the integration required more time and resources, Flock said it will keep engaging public officials, and Amazon still maintains a Community Requests partnership with Axon.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story around privacy risks and public backlash, using evaluative terms (e.g., "controversial," "backlash") and highlighting Flock’s surveillance reach and Ring’s ubiquity. Editorial choices prioritize community and regulatory concerns, include company denials but emphasize potential harms through selective emphasis and structural placement.
Sources (4)
FAQ
The integration aimed to connect Ring's Community Requests feature with Flock Safety's platforms, allowing Ring users to optionally share video footage with law enforcement during active investigations.
Both companies stated that the integration required significantly more time and resources than anticipated, leading to a joint decision to cancel it before it launched.
No, the integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety.
The Super Bowl ad for Ring's Search Party feature, showing a lost dog tracked via neighborhood cameras, sparked privacy concerns and fears of expanded surveillance, though Ring said it was unrelated to Flock.
Ring continues its Community Requests partnership with Axon, which remains unaffected by the Flock cancellation.
History
This story does not have any previous versions.