Amazon's Ring shuts down police-popular video-sharing platform

Amazon’s Ring has announced a significant change: police and other government agencies can no longer request doorbell camera footage directly from users within the company’s Neighbors app. Privacy advocates see this as a significant victory for civil liberties.

According to a blog post by Ring on Wednesday, authorities must now formally request surveillance videos from the company rather than obtaining them directly from users via the app.

The blog post emphasized that public safety agencies, such as fire and police departments, can still utilize the Neighbors app for sharing safety tips, updates, and community events.

This decision by Ring to discontinue the Request for Assistance video-sharing program has broad implications across the nation. Hundreds of law enforcement agencies have established partnerships with Ring, as reported by the consumer advocacy group Fight for the Future. These partnerships underscore authorities' interest in accessing data from a device that is becoming increasingly prevalent. While such data can aid in illuminating local crimes, critics argue that it poses threats to citizen rights and can be perceived as invasive and unsettling.