Amazon’s Ring to partner with Flock, a network of AI cameras used by ICE, Feds, and Police

 Amazon’s Ring to partner with Flock, a network of AI cameras used by ICE, Feds, and Police

The partnership allows police agencies who use Flock software to request footage from Ring users in the Neighbors app.

Amazon’s smart doorbell company Ring is now working with the AI-powered surveillance camera company Flock. According to a letter sent to the company by Sen. Ron Wyden, Flock had allowed data access to the Secret Service and the Navy — as well as ICE, as previously reported by 404 Media.

The partnership is through Ring’s Community Request program. In April, Ring announced another partnership with Axon, the company behind Taser.

Now, local US law enforcement agencies that use Flock’s platforms Nova or FlockOS can request video footage from Ring users through the Neighbors app. In the request, Ring says that law enforcement must include details about an alleged crime and its time and location. They must also include a “unique investigation code.” A request for footage will appear in Ring’s Neighbors app feed to all users in certain areas of interest.

Flock cameras work by scanning the license plates and other identifying information about cars they see. Flock’s government and police customers can also make natural language searches of their video footage to find people who match specific descriptions. However, AI-powered technology used by law enforcement has been proven to exacerbate racial biases.

Ring tells its users that participation in the Community Request program is “completely optional.” Users can turn off notifications for the request entirely, and the company says that law enforcement agencies cannot see who does or does not receive their requests or who declines to respond to their requests. Ring says that the rollout will occur in the coming months.

For years, it’s been reported that Ring works with law enforcement, often providing data without a warrant. It discontinued its Request for Assistance feature in the Neighbors app in 2024, but kept open the option of warrantless granting of data during what the company considers “emergencies,” a carveout also used by Google for its Nest data.

Ring has long had a poor track record with keeping customers’ videos safe and secure. In 2023, the FTC ordered the company to pay $5.8 million over claims that employees and contractors had unrestricted access to customers’ videos for years.

🔗SOURCE ➡️ TechCrunch, The Verge

Related: 4/15/24 — Amazon Ring and Police Are Building a Neighborhood Surveillance Network

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