Law enforcement entities will soon find it simpler to obtain recordings captured by Amazon’s Ring smart cameras. In a collaboration revealed this week, Amazon will permit around 5,000 local law enforcement entities to seek access to Ring camera footage through surveillance platforms provided by Flock Safety. The collaboration between Ring and law enforcement, along with reports of federal agencies including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) utilizing Flock technologies, has reignited privacy concerns that have surrounded these devices for years.
As per Flock’s announcement, the partnership with Ring enables local law enforcement officials to utilize Flock software “to send a direct post in the Ring Neighbors app detailing the investigation and seeking voluntary help.” Requests must comprise “specific location and timeframe of the event, a unique investigation identifier, and specifics about the investigation,” and users can view the requests anonymously, stated Flock.
“Any footage that a Ring user opts to submit will be securely packaged by Flock and shared directly with the local public safety agency that made the request via the FlockOS or Flock Nova platforms,” the announcement specified.
Flock indicated that its local law enforcement users will be able to access Ring Community Requests in “the forthcoming months.”
A swarm of privacy issues
Beyond its software platforms, Flock is recognized for license plate recognition technology. Flock clients can also search footage from Flock cameras using descriptors to locate individuals, such as “man in a blue shirt and cowboy hat.” In addition to law enforcement, Flock claims 6,000 communities and 1,000 businesses utilize their solutions.
For years, privacy advocates have cautioned against firms like Flock.
This week, US Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter [PDF] to Flock CEO Garrett Langley, stating that ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Secret Service, and the US Navy’s Criminal Investigative Service have accessed footage from Flock’s license plate recognition cameras.
