Ring has canceled its partnership with Flock Security, after receiving backlash for operating a Tremendous Bowl advert touting its Search Occasion function. In case you’ll recall, Ring revealed again in October 2025 that it was getting into a partnership with the surveillance firm, which might make it potential for legislation enforcement to ask good doorbell homeowners for movies captured by their units. In its announcement, the corporate mentioned that the “deliberate Flock Security integration would require considerably extra time and sources than anticipated.” The choice to name off the partnership was mutual, Ring added, and Flock Security’s integration was by no means launched. Apparently, no Ring buyer footage was ever despatched to Flock.
Below the partnership, legislation enforcement companies utilizing Flock’s Nova platform or FlockOS would have been in a position to make use of Ring’s Neighborhood Requests to ask for doorbell movies from customers. They might have been requested to specify the situation and timeframe of the incident, in addition to present a novel investigation code and the small print about what’s being investigated. Their requests would then be forwarded to related customers, who might select to share footage from their doorbell. Ring mentioned the entire course of would have been nameless and optionally available.
Ring was recognized to have shared safety cam movies to legislation enforcement with no courtroom order or the machine proprietor’s consent no less than 11 instances up to now. In 2024, nonetheless, it appeared to have walked again its police-friendly stance and mentioned that it could cease sharing movies with the police with no warrant. This alliance with Flock would have marked a return to police collaboration after the corporate distanced itself from legislation enforcement. Flock is thought for its computerized license plate readers and for centralizing the data it collects right into a database that police can search with no warrant. Whereas legislation enforcement says the system will help them clear up crimes like kidnapping. 404Media reported final yr that ICE has been utilizing the database, citing immigration-related causes.
Whereas Ring’s official motive was that the Flock partnership would wish extra sources than anticipated, it’s price noting that the corporate not too long ago obtained flak for its Tremendous Bowl Search Occasion advert. Ring touted it as a option to discover misplaced canines by utilizing its cameras’ AI to determine pets operating throughout their sight view after which pooling feeds collectively to determine lacking pets. Whereas Search Occasion isn’t new and was introduced final yr, the advert sparked considerations about surveillance and the way the tech may very well be misused, main customers to disable the function for his or her cameras altogether.
