Ring ends police requests for doorbell camera footage
Amazon’s Ring will no longer allow law enforcement to make warrentless requests for doorbell video footage from users of its community safety app Neighbors, a practice long criticized by privacy advocates.
So far, local police say it isn’t a big deal.
The Request for Assistance tool has allowed public safety agencies such as police and fire departments to request and receive video from users in Ring’s “Neighbors” app. Privacy advocates have argued the function created what amounted to a nationwide network of police surveillance.
Law enforcement agencies around the country — including the Columbus Division of Police — have asked people to register their doorbells to make it easier to use footage to catch criminals, and some have even offered discounts on the doorbells in exchange for access to footage. In some communities, police simply gave away cameras to residents.
Users could always decline these requests from police.
Several local police agencies contacted after Thursday’s announcement say they’ve made few such requests within the past year.
On Dec. 12, the Hilliard Police Department placed a post on the Neighbors app seeking help finding footage of a red sedan to locate a license plate. On Sept. 18, the Grove City Police Department, which posts on the app every few months, requested videos of vehicle traffic during a certain time frame after an unknown person fired multiple rounds, one of which struck a home.
Other central Ohio police departments never used the function or haven’t used it in years, according to Amazon records.
The change doesn’t stop police from asking for video footage from Ring doorbell cameras or other surveillance systems in other ways. Columbus police have been spotted canvassing neighborhoods after shootings to do just that — or by acquiring video by subpoena, search warrant or court order.
Some police departments insist the feature wasn’t that useful to begin with. Whitehall Division of Police Assistant Chief Daniel Kelso said few people use the app, which is a voluntary opt-in service for Ring owners.
“(Our detectives) have a law enforcement account and have used it quite a few times,” Kelso said. “Never once have they gotten anything.”
Whitehall police last used the feature on Sept. 1, when a detective sought footage of a pair of teenage suspects who shot at a resident who confronted them as they attempted to steal a car.
Andrea Litchfield, spokesperson for the City of Hilliard, said police there have used the app with some success. The feature’s removal likely won’t be cause for concern because there are so many other ways to contact residents to share information or ask for footage, she said.
“We have a lot of other platforms for communities that we’re active on, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/x,” Litchfield said. “Luckily, if we’re needing public support to try to identify a suspect, we have several platforms to use.”
Dan Pearlman, spokesperson for the Gahanna Police Department, said that department also doesn’t anticipate any impact to investigations from the change, adding that department hasn’t used the feature in two years.
Columbus police had not responded to a request for comment.
It’s a common sight to see police using pictures from doorbell footage to identify package thieves, but those don’t necessarily come from the “ask for assistance” function Ring is sunsetting.
Ring doorbell footage also has captured misbehavior from the police themselves. In September, Columbus police received backlash on social media after video circulated of one of two officers telling a father that his 11-year-old daughter could be arrested for creating child pornography after a man she met online manipulated her into sending nude photos.
How can police access Amazon Ring videos now?
The change by Amazon does not stop police from obtaining footage through subpoenas, search warrants or court orders. But the request for assistance function allowed police to bypass legal processes and speed up investigations.
According to law enforcement guidelines posted on the company’s website, Ring does provide footage if police send a legally binding request for the material.
Ring does not participate in camera registry programs managed by police departments and doesn’t allow police direct access to devices.
There is one way for police to access footage without a warrant or owner’s permission. Ring has an emergency policy that provides police access to footage if someone is in imminent danger.
bagallion@dispatch.com