Ring founder and inventor Jamie Siminoff previously appeared on “Shark Tank” as a contestant and later a Guest Shark.
“The Ring surveillance network used to garner clips for Ring Nation does so at the expense of Black and brown people. Ring has a long history of using racially coded dog whistles and weaponizing race to promote their products,” the letter states. “And the accompanying Neighbors app gamifies the profiling and criminalization of Black and brown individuals. Footage from Ring cameras was used to track and monitor protesters who took to the streets, exercising their First Amendment rights, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. These are not isolated incidents. Racial profiling and racist policing are core components of Ring’s business model, which profits off fear.” The letter also warns about potential implications for abortion seekers and providers amid the overturn of Roe v. Wade. “In the wake of the reversal of Roe, footage from a Ring camera could be used to prosecute an abortion patient who goes out of state for healthcare — either by filming the clinic, capturing them leaving an Airbnb, or proving that they weren’t home for a few days,” the letter continues. The organizations conclude the petition writing, “If aired, this show jeopardizes the rights and lives of viewers and their families. Ignoring the broader societal impact of Ring and airing ‘Ring Nation’ would be reckless. We call on [MGM] to cancel ‘Ring Nation.’” Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future, stated, “Ring cameras and the Neighbors app are the backbone of a massive privately-owned surveillance operation. It’s pretty crazy that they are even considered legal devices, and even more insane that anyone would make a TV show from the recorded footage. The fact that MGM studio executives thought something so dangerous could be fun family entertainment is mind-boggling.”
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