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

Amazon’s Ring, known for its home surveillance cameras, announced a partnership with Flock, a network of AI-powered cameras used by federal agencies including ICE, the Secret Service, and the Navy, as well as local police. This collaboration allows agencies using Flock to request assistance from Ring doorbell users for evidence collection and investigative purposes. Flock’s technology scans license plates and other identifying features of vehicles and enables natural language searches to find individuals matching specific descriptions in video footage. The partnership significantly expands law enforcement’s access to surveillance data by potentially incorporating footage from millions of Ring cameras into Flock’s network. This raises concerns given that AI surveillance tools used by law enforcement have faced criticism and scrutiny over accuracy and privacy issues. Additionally, Ring has historically faced criticism regarding the security and privacy of its users’ video data, adding another layer of controversy to this expanded collaboration between private surveillance technology and government agencies.