Ring announces discontinuation of police access to user footage

Amazon.com Inc.’s Ring has announced a significant policy change with its’ home doorbell unit. It will cease allowing police departments to request footage from users’ video doorbells and surveillance cameras.

The company is retiring its Request For Assistance tool, a program that permitted law enforcement to seek footage from users on a voluntary basis. Starting this week, police and fire departments will be required to obtain a warrant to request footage or present evidence of an ongoing emergency.

Eric Kuhn, who oversees Ring’s Neighbors app, explained the decision in a blog post, mentioning the disabling of the tool without specifying the reasons behind it.

Yassi Yarger, a spokesperson for Ring, stated that the company has chosen to reallocate resources to new products and experiences within the Neighbors app. The goal is to transform Neighbors from a platform focused on crime and safety into more of a community hub.

This move signifies a shift in direction for Ring, which has traditionally framed its mission as an effort to enhance public safety through surveillance. The decision aligns with the broader trend of technology companies, as seen with Google last month, scaling back law-enforcement access to user data.

Civil liberties groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have previously criticized Ring for building what they describe as a residential surveillance network accessible to law enforcement while highlighting the history of biased policing in the US.

Last summer, Ring agreed to pay $5.8 million to settle with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations of improper access to user videos and inadequate security practices. The company was accused of letting employees and contractors access user videos.

Furthermore, the agency said Ring had inadequate security practices, which allowed hackers to control consumer accounts and cameras.