WEB EXTRA: Privacy concerns arise as Ring, Triangle police departments partner up to solve crimes
The short version: CBS 17 reports Triangle police partnering with Ring to access doorbell footage, raising the same warrantless-surveillance concerns we track with Flock's ALPR network.
Our Take
Credit to CBS 17 for flagging what should be an obvious red flag: when police departments strike deals with Ring to pull footage from millions of private doorbells, you've built a surveillance network without ever asking voters if they wanted one. It's the same playbook we see with Flock Safety's license plate readers — quietly stitch together a web of cameras, call it a "partnership," and skip the messy business of public debate or judicial oversight.
The pattern matters because these systems don't stay narrow. A tool pitched for solving package thefts or finding a stolen car becomes a database that can track where you go, who visits your house, and when you're not home — all without a warrant, and often without residents fully understanding what they signed up for when they hit "share with police" on an app. Ring cameras and Flock ALPRs are different technologies, but they're converging toward the same result: a persistent, retroactive record of ordinary life that law enforcement can query at will.
If you live in the Triangle or anywhere else, it's worth checking what's already watching your street. Take a look at our camera map to see documented Flock locations near you, and if you want to push back on this kind of unchecked expansion, our take-action page has concrete steps for raising the issue with your local council.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of CBS 17, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.