tech
February 14, 2026
Ring cancels Flock deal after dystopian Super Bowl ad prompts mass outrage
This is definitely not about dogs, senator says, urging a pause on Ring face scans.
TL;DR
- Amazon and Flock Safety have terminated a partnership that would have provided law enforcement access to Ring camera footage.
- The decision followed a backlash against a Ring Super Bowl ad promoting a 'Search Party' feature for lost pets, which critics deemed dystopian and a threat to privacy.
- Senator Ed Markey raised concerns that the AI-powered search technology could be used for surveillance and identification of humans.
- Critics also highlighted Ring's existing features, like facial recognition ('Familiar Faces') and indefinite biometric data collection, as privacy risks.
- Amazon claimed the partnership was ended due to a comprehensive review indicating it would require more time and resources than anticipated, not explicitly due to privacy concerns.
- Both companies stated the integration never launched and no customer videos were shared with Flock.
- Privacy advocates and researchers criticized Ring's explanation, asserting that the company failed to acknowledge the core privacy issues raised by the public.
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