Amazon's smart home device company, Ring, has decided to end its partnership with Flock Safety following a wave of public outrage. The controversial decision stems from a Super Bowl advertisement that, intended to be heartwarming, was widely perceived as "creepy" and dystopian, raising significant privacy concerns.
The advertisement depicted a lost puppy and introduced Ring's new 'Search Party' feature, which utilises Ring cameras to help neighbours locate missing pets. However, the ad showcased how this feature, with AI-powered searchlights and instant neighbourhood-wide activation, could be easily repurposed for mass surveillance of humans. Critics, including Senator Ed Markey, pointed out that the technology could be used by law enforcement for extensive monitoring, effectively eroding civil liberties.
Further fuelling public anxiety were revelations from Senator Markey's prior correspondence with Amazon. These discussions highlighted Ring cameras' ability to collect biometric data, such as face scans, without user consent or knowledge. The indefinite retention of this data and the cumbersome process of requesting its deletion also came under fire. The ad's negative reception was amplified by Ring's recent rollout of a human facial recognition feature called 'Familiar Faces,' which Senator Markey also urged to be paused due to its invasive nature.
The backlash was swift and severe. Social media was flooded with reactions denouncing the ad as a normalisation of surveillance and expressing fears that the technology would benefit police and immigration enforcement over concerned citizens. Customers shared videos of them destroying Ring devices or vowing to boycott the brand. In response to the outcry, both Ring and Flock Safety issued statements confirming the partnership would not go forward, though Ring attributed the decision to unforeseen "time and resources" rather than the privacy concerns, a stance met with criticism for downplaying the real issues at hand.
Fuente Original: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/after-creepy-super-bowl-ad-sparks-outrage-ring-abandons-flock-deal/
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