Proposed Ring-Flock partnership (2025-2026): Difference between revisions
Added archive URLs for 4 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot |
m →Default opt-in feature: link DP#Forced_action |
||
| (One intermediate revision by one other user not shown) | |||
| Line 27: | Line 27: | ||
==The proposed partnership== | ==The proposed partnership== | ||
On October 31, 2025, Ring and Flock Safety announced their intention to integrate Flock's FlockOS and Flock Nova platforms with Ring's Community Requests feature.<ref name="flock-partnership-announcement">{{Cite web |date=2025-10-31 |title=Flock Safety and Ring Partner to Help Neighborhoods Work Together for Safer Communities |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safety-and-ring-partner-to-help-neighborhoods-work-together-for-safer-communities |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Flock Safety Blog |publisher=Flock Safety}}</ref> | On October 31, 2025, Ring and Flock Safety announced their intention to integrate Flock's FlockOS and Flock Nova platforms with Ring's Community Requests feature.<ref name="flock-partnership-announcement">{{Cite web |date=2025-10-31 |title=Flock Safety and Ring Partner to Help Neighborhoods Work Together for Safer Communities |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safety-and-ring-partner-to-help-neighborhoods-work-together-for-safer-communities |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Flock Safety Blog |publisher=Flock Safety |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260224125157/https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safety-and-ring-partner-to-help-neighborhoods-work-together-for-safer-communities |archive-date=24 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
Under the planned system, law enforcement officers using Flock's software could post a "Community Request" in the Ring Neighbors app during active investigations. Each request would include the specific location, timeframe, incident details, and a case number. Ring users who saw the request could choose whether to share video footage or ignore it. According to Ring, participation would be voluntary, and law enforcement agencies could not see which users received their requests.<ref name="ring-community-requests-launch">{{Cite web |title=Ring Launches Community Requests: A New Way to Help Your Community |url=https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/ring-launches-community-requests-a-new-way-to-help-your-community |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=The Ring Blog |publisher=Ring (Amazon) |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260210203308/https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/ring-launches-community-requests-a-new-way-to-help-your-community/ |archive-date=10 Feb 2026}}</ref> | Under the planned system, law enforcement officers using Flock's software could post a "Community Request" in the Ring Neighbors app during active investigations. Each request would include the specific location, timeframe, incident details, and a case number. Ring users who saw the request could choose whether to share video footage or ignore it. According to Ring, participation would be voluntary, and law enforcement agencies could not see which users received their requests.<ref name="ring-community-requests-launch">{{Cite web |title=Ring Launches Community Requests: A New Way to Help Your Community |url=https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/ring-launches-community-requests-a-new-way-to-help-your-community |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=The Ring Blog |publisher=Ring (Amazon) |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260210203308/https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/ring-launches-community-requests-a-new-way-to-help-your-community/ |archive-date=10 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
| Line 44: | Line 44: | ||
===Default opt-in feature=== | ===Default opt-in feature=== | ||
{{See also|Dark pattern#Forced_action}} | |||
The backlash was amplified by the revelation that Search Party was enabled by default on eligible outdoor Ring cameras, requiring users to actively opt out rather than opt in.<ref name="geekwire-search-party" /><ref name="engadget-search-party">{{Cite web |date=2026-02-10 |title=Here's how to disable Ring's creepy Search Party feature |url=https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/heres-how-to-disable-rings-creepy-search-party-feature-185420455.html |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Engadget |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260215061041/https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/heres-how-to-disable-rings-creepy-search-party-feature-185420455.html |archive-date=15 Feb 2026}}</ref> This default-on design drew criticism as an example of practices that automatically enroll consumers in data-sharing arrangements without their explicit consent. | The backlash was amplified by the revelation that Search Party was enabled by default on eligible outdoor Ring cameras, requiring users to actively opt out rather than opt in.<ref name="geekwire-search-party" /><ref name="engadget-search-party">{{Cite web |date=2026-02-10 |title=Here's how to disable Ring's creepy Search Party feature |url=https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/heres-how-to-disable-rings-creepy-search-party-feature-185420455.html |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Engadget |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260215061041/https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/heres-how-to-disable-rings-creepy-search-party-feature-185420455.html |archive-date=15 Feb 2026}}</ref> This default-on design drew criticism as an example of practices that automatically enroll consumers in data-sharing arrangements without their explicit consent. | ||