Both statements verified that the integration never launched and that no Ring customer’s videos were ever sent to Flock.
Ring did not credit users’ privacy concerns for its change of heart. Instead, they claimed that a joint decision was made “following an extensive review” where Ring “determined that the planned Swarm Security integration would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated.”
Separately, Flock said that “We believe this decision allows both companies to best serve their respective customers and communities.”
The only indication Ring gave users that their concerns had been heard came in the last line of its blog, stating, “We will continue to carefully evaluate future partnerships to ensure they align with our standards for customer trust, security, and privacy.”
Sharing his thoughts on X and Bluesky, John Scott-Railton, a senior cybersecurity researcher at Citizen Lab, joined critics in calling Ring’s statement inadequate. He posted an image of the ad frame next to a statement from Ring that Markie found horrifying, writing, “On the left? A photo of mass surveillance from the #Ring ad. On the right? A ring.” [spokesperson] Saying they are not doing mass surveillance. The company cannot have it both ways.
Ring’s statements so far “don’t acknowledge the real issue,” Scott-Railton said, which is the privacy risk. For Ring, this seemed like a missed opportunity to discuss or introduce privacy features to reassure concerned users, he suggested, noting the response showed that “Americans want more control over their privacy right now” and “they’re smart enough to see pictures of a sad dog.”
Scott-Railton said, “Stop trying to create a surveillance dystopia that consumers didn’t ask for” and “focus on shipping good, personal products.”
He also suggested that lawmakers should focus on grassroots advocacy that could potentially help pass legislation to stop mass surveillance. This could not only help block a potential future partnership with Flock, but possibly also prevent The Ring from becoming the next Flock.
Scott-Railton said, “Ring Communications not publicly acknowledging the lesson taught is a bad sign that they hope will go away.”
<a href