Amazon lastly admits giving cops Ring doorbell knowledge with out consumer consent

Amazon finally admits giving cops Ring doorbell data without user consent

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Greater than 10 million individuals depend on Ring video doorbells to watch what’s taking place immediately outdoors the entrance doorways of their properties. The recognition of the know-how has raised a query that issues privateness advocates: Ought to police have entry to Ring video doorbell recordings with out first gaining consumer consent?

Ring not too long ago revealed how typically the reply to that query has been sure. The Amazon firm responded to an inquiry from US Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), confirming that there have been 11 instances in 2022 the place Ring complied with police “emergency” requests. In every case, Ring handed over non-public recordings, together with video and audio, with out letting customers know that police had entry to—and probably downloaded—their knowledge. This raises many issues about elevated police reliance on non-public surveillance, a observe that is lengthy gone unregulated.

Ring says it should solely “reply instantly to pressing legislation enforcement requests for info in instances involving imminent hazard of loss of life or critical bodily harm to any particular person.” Its coverage is to evaluation any requests for help from police, then make “a good-faith dedication whether or not the request meets the well-known commonplace, grounded in federal legislation, that there’s imminent hazard of loss of life or critical bodily harm to any particular person requiring disclosure of info directly.”

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