Amazon’s Ring Now Works With Video Surveillance Company Flock

Amazon’s smart doorbell institution Ring is now working pinch nan AI-powered surveillance camera institution Flock. According to a letter sent to nan company by Sen. Ron Wyden, Flock had allowed information access to nan Secret Service and nan Navy — arsenic good arsenic ICE, arsenic antecedently reported by 404 Media.

The business is done Ring’s Community Request program. In April, Ring announced different business pinch Axon, nan institution behind Taser. 

Now, section US rule enforcement agencies that usage Flock’s platforms Nova aliases FlockOS tin petition video footage from Ring users done nan Neighbors app. In nan request, Ring says that rule enforcement must see details astir an alleged crime and its clip and location. They must besides see a “unique investigation code.” A petition for footage will look successful Ring’s Neighbors app provender to each users successful definite areas of interest.  

Ring tells its users that information successful nan Community Request programme is “completely optional.” Users tin move disconnected notifications for nan petition entirely, and nan institution says that rule enforcement agencies cannot spot who does aliases does not person their requests aliases who declines to respond to their requests. Ring says that nan rollout will hap successful nan coming months. 

For years, it’s been reported that Ring useful pinch rule enforcement, often providing information without a warrant. It discontinued its Request for Assistance characteristic successful nan Neighbors app successful 2024, but kept unfastened nan action of warrantless granting of information during what nan institution considers “emergencies,” a carveout besides utilized by Google for its Nest data.