40 privacy and racial justice groups signed an open letter demanding that Ring Nation be canceled. The groups warned that the show could put vulnerable communities at risk of heightened privacy risks.
It was announced earlier this year that the show was about comedian Wanda Sykes commenting on video clips shared from Ring home security cameras. According to a press release, Ring Nation will include a mix of eye-catching videos from the smart devices around our homes. The half-hour show is being developed by MGM Television, which is now part of Amazon.
Fight for the Future, Main Street Alliance, and dozens of other groups described Ring Nation as more akin to a horror show in an open letter.
The groups wrote, "MGM and others associated with the show are hiding behind the concept of consent in order to justify airing Ring Nation." The harms stemming from Ring's surveilling communities at large, especially marginalized communities, are not protected by the individuals appearing on the show.
Ring's footage was used to surveil activists protesting George Floyd's murder, as an example of the product's potentially harmful impact on communities of color. At least 11 times this year, Ring has given law enforcement with users doorbell footage without their permission, as the company maintains partnerships with more than 2,000 police departments.
Ring and user consent mix better than oil and water.
Racist policing is a core component of Ring's business model. This show endangers the lives of viewers and their families.
Amazon and Ring did not reply immediately.
Ring critics argue that the company's cameras, and its associated Neighbors community watch app, perpetuate police harassment and racial stereotypes, and inflame residents' worst instincts about their fellow neighbors. If you live in a densely populated area with a Ring camera, you already know what it's like.
The letter says that Ring Nation tried to put a happy face on a dangerous product. MGM is a corporation that profits from the criminalization of communities of color and surveilling the whereabouts and actions of millions.
America's Funniest Home Videos was announced by MGM around a year after Ring announced its intention to be acquired by Amazon. James Bond, The Addams Family, and The Pink Panther are some of the film franchises that have been brought on by the deal. An example of corporate synergy is an Amazon Ring-based television show. The deal drew the attention of the FTC. The larger implications of the deal for Amazon's market power was the focus of the investigation.
Several activist groups signed a letter on Tuesday calling for Ring Nation to be canceled. More than two dozen groups signed a letter asking the agency to block the iRobot acquisition by Amazon. They warned that the deal could endanger fair competition. The agency is moving closer to a formal investigation, according to new reports.
The FTC intervention into the iRobot deal would likely prevent Amazon from launching a Ring Nation spinoff series. It is clear that Amazon has not suggested that is a possibility, but it is possible that Ring Nation is as well.
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