Amazon-owned Ring has decided to discontinue the “Request for Assistance” tool, which enabled police departments to request and obtain doorbell camera footage from users through Ring’s Neighbors app. This move follows concerns raised by privacy advocates about the implications of Ring’s cooperation with law enforcement agencies across the United States. The tool has been criticized for transforming neighborhoods into surveillance zones and potentially leading to racial profiling. Ring’s decision to end this feature aligns with efforts to address these concerns and curtail casual and warrantless police requests for user footage.
The change, effective this week, restricts law enforcement agencies from accessing video footage through Ring’s Neighbors app. While police can still make public posts in the app, they lose the ability to request and receive doorbell camera footage directly. Ring had previously modified its policy in 2021, making police requests visible to the public through the Neighbors app. Critics argue that such surveillance practices compromise privacy, and Ring’s recent decision aims to distance itself from facilitating warrantless police requests for footage from its users.
Eric Kuhn, the head of Neighbors, did not provide a specific reason for the change but emphasized that law enforcement can continue sharing safety tips, updates, and community events through the app. Despite this step towards increased privacy, law enforcement agencies can still access videos through legal means, such as search warrants. Ring maintains the right to share footage without user consent in limited circumstances, a practice that has raised concerns about defining and verifying emergency situations. Ring previously settled a $5.8 million lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations of privacy violations, inadequate security practices, and unauthorized access to user videos.
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