Amazon-owned surveillance camera maker Ring on Thursday announced a partnership with Flock, a maker of AI-powered surveillance cameras that share footage with law enforcement.
Agencies using Flock can now request Ring doorbell users to share footage to aid in “evidence collection and investigative efforts.”
Flock cameras work by scanning the license plates and other identifying information of cars they see. Flock’s government and law enforcement customers can also perform natural language searches on video footage to find people matching a specific description. However, AI-powered technologies used by law enforcement have been proven to exacerbate racial bias.
On the same day that Ring announced the partnership, 404 Media reported that ICE, the Secret Service, and the Navy had access to Flock’s camera network. By partnering with Ring, Flock could potentially access footage from millions more cameras.
Ring has long had a poor track record when it comes to keeping its customers’ videos safe. In 2023, the FTC ordered the company to pay $5.8 million for giving its employees and contractors unrestricted access to customers’ videos for years.
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