"The most striking thing about Ring's statement that it had parted ways with Flock Safety is what the home security company didn't say. There was no mention of the public backlash around ties to ICE, or any promise to address users' concerns about the company's relationships with law enforcement. In an increasingly authoritarian political climate, the threat of mass surveillance fueled by AI-powered cameras is what many people fear."
"Sure. The backdown must have been particularly galling for founder and VP Jamie Siminoff, who has consistently maintained that Ring's products are designed to help prevent and fight crime. While Ring has parted ways with Flock, its Community Requests tool hasn't changed. It's still very much active, thanks to a partnership with Axon, a similar law-enforcement technology company best known for making Tasers."
Ring canceled its integration with Flock Safety, citing unexpectedly high time and resource requirements while omitting any acknowledgment of public backlash over ties to ICE or surveillance risks. Founder and VP Jamie Siminoff has maintained that Ring's products are intended to prevent and fight crime. Despite ending the Flock partnership, Community Requests remains active through a partnership with Axon, a major DHS contractor and Taser manufacturer. Community Requests allows authorized local law-enforcement agencies to request user video. The continued operation of the tool highlights persistent fears about mass surveillance and law-enforcement access to private camera footage.
Read at The Verge
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