Amazon-owned MGM’s Ring Nation show hasn’t debuted yet and has already generated controversy from leftist activist groups who believe the series will glorify digital surveillance culture. Now come accusations that the light-hearted show — think America’s Funniest Home Videos but based around Amazon Ring security cameras — is racist, with claims that it will harm “black and brown people.”
Groups have even alleged the show will hurt “abortion seekers,” by encouraging the tracking of individuals’ movements.
MGM’s Ring Nation, hosted by comedian Wanda Sykes, is set to debut September 26 and will be syndicated to TV stations nationwide. This week, a group of left-wing activist groups published an open letter calling on the show to be cancelled because, they claimed, it will hurt minorities.
“Ring has a long history of using racially-coded dog whistles and weaponizing race to promote their products,” the letter said. “And the accompanying Neighbors app gamifies the profiling and criminalization of Black [sic] and brown individuals.”
The letter also said Ring cameras were used to track and monitor rioters during the summer of 2020. “Racial profiling and racist policing are core components of Ring’s business model, which profits off fear.”
An online petition from the groups brought abortion to the debate.
“The Ring surveillance ecosystem is perfectly positioned to track abortion seekers, whether by capturing the conversations of anyone within 25 feet radius of a Ring camera or recording footage of a health clinic across the street.”
The petition concluded: “It’s irresponsible for MGM to promote dangerous surveillance devices, like Ring, as family-friendly. Ring is not safe for families or anyone else. By canceling Ring Nation, you will support privacy rights, and show that you’re stepping up for Black [sic] and brown people and abortion seekers.”
Among the groups protesting the show are the Fight for the Future, a digital rights group that has organized anti-Trump activism; and MediaJustice, which promotes social justice in the online world.
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