Amazon’s Ring smart home cameras are now linked to law enforcement through a new Flock Safety integration. This partnership lets about 5,000 U.S. police agencies request video from Ring cameras via Flock’s platform. A Flock Safety press release explains that officers can post a “Community Request” in Ring’s Neighbors app with details (location, time, and a unique case code) and ask for voluntary video assistance. Ring users see the request anonymously and can choose whether to share any relevant footage or ignore it. Tech news site TechCrunch reported that agencies using Flock can request Ring video for active investigations.
Privacy experts have expressed concern.
The ACLU warns that Flock’s network is building a “dangerous nationwide mass-surveillance infrastructure.” Media reports note that federal authorities—including ICE, the Secret Service, and the Navy—have already accessed Flock camera data through local partners. Ring’s own record has been troubled: in 2023 it agreed to a $5.8 million FTC settlement after regulators found contractors had unrestricted access to customers’ videos. Taken together, these developments underscore the privacy risks of sharing home camera footage with third parties.
Keeping You in Control
At Allied, your privacy is our priority. We do not enable any unauthorized law enforcement backdoors. Allied customers alone decide if and how to share their video. To learn more about Allied’s privacy-first security solutions, give us a call or visit our site.
