By Blessing Nweke
Amazon has scrapped plans to integrate its Ring doorbell cameras with police surveillance technology company Flock Safety, the companies confirmed Thursday, just days after a controversial Super Bowl advertisement reignited concerns over privacy.
The proposed partnership, announced in October, would have allowed Ring customers to share doorbell footage with law enforcement through a program known as Community Requests. The integration was never launched.
Criticism intensified after Amazon aired a Super Bowl ad promoting a feature called “Search Party,” which enables users to share video footage to help locate lost pets. While the feature was unrelated to Flock, critics argued that the same cameras — especially when paired with facial recognition technology — could be used to track individuals.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, sent an open letter to Amazon describing the technology as “creepy” and raising alarms about potential misuse.
In a statement, Amazon said the integration with Flock’s systems “was never live, and no videos were ever shared.” The company added that, after a comprehensive review, both sides determined the project would require more time and resources than expected and agreed to cancel it.
Flock, known for its nationwide network of license plate reader cameras, has faced mounting scrutiny over its centralized vehicle-tracking database, which allows participating police departments to monitor cars across jurisdictions without warrants. Privacy advocates have also raised concerns about data-sharing with federal agencies.
Doorbell cameras are now used in roughly 27% of U.S. households, according to Parks Associates, with Ring remaining the market leader. Amazon continues to partner its Community Requests feature with Axon, another major police technology provider.
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