Amazon's Ring ends deal with surveillance firm after backlash

"The decision cancels a deal announced in October between Amazon's Ring and Flock Safety, a firm that operates a network of cameras and license plate readers in the US used primarily by police and law enforcement agencies. The agreement would have allowed agencies working with Flock to retrieve video captured on Ring devices, if needed for investigations and allowed by customers."

"The decision not to move forward came days after a Ring advertisement aired during the Super Bowl sparked widespread backlash for being "creepy". In its announcement, Ring said it had realised that the Flock partnership would have taken up "significantly more time and resources than anticipated". It added that the integration of its cameras into Flock's systems "never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety"."

"A Flock spokesperson said in an email to the BBC that the cancellation of the partnership was "a mutual decision". "We believe this decision allows both companies to best serve their respective customers and communities," the company said in a statement. Ring, which was acquired by Amazon in 2018, had previously faced concerns over its privacy policies. Its decision to work with Flock had drawn scrutiny, especially after President Donald Trump ramped up his immigration crackdown in recent months."

Amazon-owned Ring canceled a planned partnership with Flock Safety after scrutiny over privacy practices and backlash to a Super Bowl advertisement. The canceled deal would have enabled agencies working with Flock to retrieve video from Ring devices for investigations when customers allowed it. Ring stated the partnership would have required significantly more time and resources and that integration never launched, so no customer videos were sent to Flock. Flock called the cancellation a mutual decision and said it allows both companies to serve customers and communities. Ring previously faced privacy concerns and critics derided the Super Bowl ad as dystopian surveillance.

Read at www.bbc.com