Privacy advocates raise concerns over Ring–Flock partnership and law enforcement access

SALT LAKE CITY — A new partnership involving Ring doorbell cameras and a surveillance technology company is raising questions about privacy, surveillance and how easily law enforcement — including federal agencies — can request video footage from homeowners.

Ring, which is owned by Amazon, recently announced a partnership with Flock Safety, a company best known for its automatic license plate reader systems used by police departments across the country. Civil liberties advocates warn that linking those technologies could significantly expand how people are tracked in their daily lives.

Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the concern is less about any single camera and more about how different surveillance tools can be combined.

“You go from individual surveillance tools into a giant mass surveillance apparatus for sale to anyone who has the money to buy it — including governments,” Marlow told KSL.

Marlow said Ring cameras can capture activity around homes and neighborhoods, while Flock’s technology tracks vehicle movements. When those systems are linked, he said, they can create a more detailed picture of where people go, when they leave, and when they return home.

Concerns about immigration enforcement

Marlow said the partnership raises particular concerns when it comes to immigration enforcement and the potential use of surveillance data by federal agencies.

“When this kind of surveillance power is in malevolent hands — and in the case of ICE, I feel comfortable saying a growing number of Americans view it as a bad actor — these companies are empowering actions the public increasingly finds objectionable,” he said.

He warned that expanded surveillance capabilities can affect not just criminal investigations, but also law-abiding people in immigrant communities, potentially discouraging people from attending public gatherings, visiting doctors or moving freely in public spaces.

Ring and ICE responses

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has denied using Ring camera footage. Ring also told The New York Times that it is not partnering directly with ICE.

However, experts said the Ring–Flock partnership may still change how footage requests are handled.

KSL’s Clayre Scott reported that Ring’s system allows law enforcement agencies to submit requests for footage through its platform, which can streamline the process.

Brandon Omaker, director of the Emerging Tech Policy Lab at Utah Valley University, said the partnership centralizes how requests are made.

“It’s essentially a way for them to centralize all of this so that if they put in a proper request through Ring, they could get the footage much quicker,” Omaker said. “But they still have to request it through formal channels.”

What homeowners should consider

Omaker said homeowners should carefully weigh where they place cameras and how much of their personal space is being recorded.

“A camera on the porch might be worth the extra security,” he said, “but cameras in more private areas may pose a greater risk to your privacy.”

Marlow echoed that advice, saying many people buy Ring cameras simply to see who is at their front door, without realizing how the data may be shared or combined with other surveillance systems.

He said there are alternatives for homeowners who want security without broader data sharing.

“There are cameras that store video locally and don’t share information beyond the home,” Marlow said.

As surveillance technology becomes more common, both experts and advocates say consumers should understand not just what devices do individually, but how they can function as part of a larger system.