Use a Ring doorbell cam? You can opt out of sending videos straight to police
Concerned about privacy? You’re not alone. More people are raising eyebrows about who has access to their data, especially when it comes to surveillance cameras like Ring doorbells. The idea of your Ring videos being shared with law enforcement can be unsettling for some.
Now, Ring has partnerships with many police departments through its “Neighbors” app. This platform allows users to share video clips and receive local crime updates. But if you’re looking to opt out of Ring’s police partnerships, here’s how you can go about it:
Via the Ring App:
1. Open the Ring app on your smartphone.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines in the top left corner to access the main menu.
3. Choose Control Center from the list.
4. Find the section labeled Community Control and tap on it.
5. Tap on Video Requests. Here, you’ll see a list of police departments that could request video from your Ring devices.
6. Flip the toggle to turn off sharing. This will opt you out of receiving future video requests from local law enforcement.
Via the Neighbors App:
If you’re using the Neighbors app by Ring:
1. Open the Neighbors app.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
3. Tap on Settings.
4. Select Privacy Settings.
5. Find Law Enforcement Requests and toggle it off.
Remember, even if you turn off these features, it won’t remove any previously shared videos or automatically decline any active requests; you must do that manually. Also, this doesn’t stop law enforcement from contacting you directly; it only prevents them from doing so through the Ring/Neighbors platform.
Stay vigilant, protect your privacy and remember — you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to your data.
Ring privacy: Here's how many video requests police and fire departments made last year
Footage captured by video doorbells could help police departments solve criminal cases. That’s the reasoning behind Amazon’s Ring network, which helps law enforcement in almost every state. Ring is partnered with over 2,000 police and fire departments across the U.S.
Got new tech? Lock it down now before it’s too late
It used to be that Windows PCs were a hacker’s primary target. Those days are long gone as Macs, iPhones and Android phones are being played for anything from a scammer’s profits to a partner’s espionage. Want to be shocked?
4 settings you must change on your video doorbell
Many moons ago, we used to have peepholes. Kids, ask your parents about how they’d look through a little hole to see who was at the door to make sure it was safe to open the door.
In 2013, inventor Jamie Siminoff brought his idea for a video doorbell to TV’s “Shark Tank” hoping for a deal. All the sharks flatly rejected him, saying it was a dumb idea. But the product, Ring, became a huge hit and Amazon purchased his company in 2018 for over $1 billion.
3 settings you must change on your Ring video doorbell
Unlike traditional doorbells that require you to squint through a dime-sized peephole, glance out a window or open the door without knowing who is on the other side, Ring provides you a clear view of who’s visiting.