(qlmbusinessnews.com . Sat 14th Feb, 2026) London, UK —
Ring-Flock Safety Deal Axed: A Victory for Privacy Advocates Over Surveillance Concerns
Amazon has recently announced the termination of its collaboration with Flock Safety, a company known for its extensive network of surveillance cameras and license plate readers in the US, which are primarily used by police and other law enforcement agencies. This move comes after Amazon's smart doorbell brand, Ring, faced increased scrutiny regarding its privacy policies.
The now-cancelled partnership, revealed in October, would have permitted agencies associated with Flock to access videos from Ring devices as part of their investigations, provided they had the consent of the device owners.
The retraction of this agreement follows closely after Ring's promotional spot during the Super Bowl, which was widely criticised for its “creepy” portrayal of community surveillance and sparked a fresh wave of privacy concerns. Ring revealed that the decision to pull out of the deal was driven by the realisation that the partnership would demand “significantly more resources and time than anticipated.” Furthermore, Ring assured its users that the integration into Flock’s systems “never commenced, ensuring no customer videos were shared with Flock Safety.”
A Flock Safety spokesperson confirmed to the Reporters that the decision to terminate the partnership was made jointly, expressing a belief that this would enable both companies to better serve their communities and customers.
Since being acquired by Amazon in 2018, Ring has been under fire for various privacy issues. The collaboration with Flock attracted particular attention amidst intensified immigration enforcement measures in recent months by President Donald Trump's administration.
The controversy escalated with Ring’s Super Bowl ad that introduced a new feature named Search Party, showcasing a scenario where Ring users collaborated to locate a missing dog. This depiction was quickly condemned by critics for promoting a dystopian surveillance culture. Senator Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, responded by urging Amazon to cease its monitoring features and called on the American public to resist this invasive surveillance.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticised the advertisement for disguising biometric surveillance capabilities as community helpfulness, while rival company Wyze created a satirical response highlighting the potential for misuse of such technology.
Both Ring and Flock have faced significant public scrutiny over their privacy practices and relationships with law enforcement agencies. Flock, established in 2017, has seen rapid growth, operating in over 5,000 US cities by last year, despite concerns raised by Senator Ron Wyden regarding the potential abuse of its surveillance technology.
Despite the controversy, Ring has maintained that it cooperates with law enforcement requests for footage from its cameras “when legally required,” acknowledging the thousands of requests it receives annually. The failed partnership with Flock Safety underscores the ongoing tension between public safety initiatives and individual privacy rights.
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