Amazon-owned Ring will no longer allow police departments to request doorbell camera footage from users, ending a feature that drew criticism from privacy advocates.
In a blog post published Wednesday, Ring said it would discontinue its “Request for Assistance” tool that allows police departments and other public safety agencies to request and receive video captured by doorbell cameras through Ring’s Neighbors app.
Eric Kuhn, president of Neighbors, said in his announcement that law enforcement can continue to make public posts on the Neighbors app. Police and other agencies can also use the app to “share helpful safety tips, updates and community events,” Kuhn said.
The update is Ring’s latest crackdown on police activity in its Neighbors app following concerns raised by privacy watchdogs about the company’s relationship with police departments across the country.
Critics have emphasized that the proliferation of these relationships and the ability for users to report what they see as suspicious behavior could turn neighborhoods into a place of constant surveillance and lead to more instances of racial profiling.
In an effort to increase transparency, Ring changed its policy in 2021 to make police requests publicly available through the Neighbors app. Previously, law enforcement could send special emails requesting video footage to Ring owners who lived near an active investigation area.
“We hope Ring will now be completely out of the business of platforming random and unauthorized police footage requests to its users,” Matthew Guariglia, senior policy analyst at the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in a statement Wednesday.
Ring announced in mid-2022 that it had turned over 11 videos to police that year without notifying users due to “urgent or emergency” circumstances; This is one of the categories that allows videos to be shared without the permission of the owners. But Guariglia of the Electronic Frontier Foundation said the group remains skeptical about police and the company’s ability to decide what is and isn’t an emergency.
Last summer, Ring agreed to pay $5.8 million to settle with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that the company allowed employees and contractors to access user videos. Additionally, the agency said Ring had inadequate security practices, which allowed hackers to control consumer accounts and cameras. The company disagrees with these claims.