Amazon’s home security company Ring is coaching police departments in how to effectively request security camera footage from its customers, police emails obtained by Motherboard suggest. The emails contain advice like being more active on social media or speaking at meetings in order to encourage a better “opt in rate.”
Over the past month, multiple reports have emerged about the partnerships between police departments across the US and the Amazon security company, which produces a range of app-controlled home security cameras. Over 200 police departments have reportedly partnered with the company, after which they are able to request footage via an interactive map in the “Law Enforcement Neighborhood Portal.” Although it is entirely up to users whether they choose to share their security camera footage with law enforcement, the newly uncovered emails suggest that Ring knows how to persuade people to offer up this footage, and is prepared to share its knowledge as part of its partnerships with police departments.
“The agencies with the best opt-in rate are the ones that are actively sharing on social media, having community outreach speak at meetings and spread via word of mouth,” reads one email from Ring to the Bloomfield Detective Bureau Commander in answer to a question about getting more responses from footage requests, “I have noticed you have been posting alerts and receiving feedback from the community. You are doing a great job interacting with them and this will be critical in regards to increased opt in rate. The more users you have the more useful information you can collect.”
As well as being more active on social media, a representative from Ring also reportedly advised that police pair their Law Enforcement Neighborhood Portal request with a public post on Neighbors, Ring’s neighborhood watch app. Ring will also provide police with templates to request footage from citizens. In a statement provided to The Verge, a Ring spokesperson confirmed this practice, and said that the company will “provide templates and educational materials for police departments to utilize at their discretion to help them keep their communities informed about their efforts on Neighbors.”
Police do not need a warrant to request footage from Ring owners so long as the owners consent, which has lead to criticism by digital rights activist groups who claim the partnerships are leading to an unregulated surveillance network. There are also concerns that the partnerships are inadvertently causing police departments to promote the sale of Ring cameras as they encourage local communities to download the Neighbors app (which Motherboard reports is a “de facto advertisement for Ring”), and become more reliant on the cameras for surveillance data. There have also been reports of city councils subsidizing the cost of Ring security cameras, and police departments giving them out for free at neighborhood watch meetings.
If a Ring owner declines to share footage from their security camera, then law enforcement can attempt to subpoena this information from Amazon. However, Amazon says that it requires a “valid and binding legal demand properly served on [it]” in order to consider sharing this information, and says that it “objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.”
In response to the report, a representative from Ring told The Verge, “Ring offers Neighbors app training and best practices for posting and engaging with app users for all law enforcement agencies utilizing the portal tool ... Ring requests to look at press releases and any messaging prior to distribution to ensure our company and our products and services are accurately represented.”
The company added that, “we encourage our law enforcement partners to share the details of their Ring partnership with their communities, as well as educate residents on how they can engage with police representatives on the Neighbors app. Through these partnerships, we aim to open the lines of communication between community members and law enforcement to build stronger, safer communities.”
Update August 7th, 3:19AM ET: Updated with additional statements from Amazon.
Comments
What could go wrong
By Darthdearth on 08.06.19 7:11am
Not much, police have been asking for footage without warrants since there were security cameras. It’s just a request.
By chitinid on 08.06.19 7:18am
I think you misunderstand. The concern isn’t that police are knocking on people’s doors and asking for their surveillance footage. The concern is that after knocking on a person’s door and being refused, they can just go to Ring and request the footage. Or, they could skip asking the property owner and go directly to Ring.
By Tristan.Irwin on 08.06.19 10:36am
As far as I can see, Ring doesn’t hand over the footage without permission from the owner. The camera owner has to approve the request.
By Bryce Driesenga on 08.06.19 11:02am
you know what’s a better way to do this all? Not have ring have any of my footage, run everything in house.
If you’re not smart enough to setup a IP camera and protect it from the internet, you should not have a ring or drop cam, considering the content.
By JesseDegenerate on 08.06.19 1:39pm
The cloud benefits and ease of use are the selling points.
By dot. on 08.07.19 12:27am
It’s worded like it’s a request, and no means no. Not sure why a warrant is even mentioned.
By dot. on 08.07.19 12:28am
I think you’re the one who misunderstood. The police must have the owner’s permission.
By Jmills87 on 08.07.19 12:55pm
Not sure I’m seeing the issue here.
If someone is caught on my Ring camera trying the door handles of my car sitting on my drive then I’m more than happy to provide the police with the video – even more so when they are trying to work out who broke into the car owned by the neighbour 3 doors down on the same night.
By mrsilver on 08.06.19 8:12am
the problem arises, if, for whatever reason, you decide not to share the video.
Which repercussions will you face then?
By nobbs on 08.06.19 9:23am
The problem is when it becomes normative for private citizens to regularly aid the police in implementing a surveillance state, it’s super hard to walk that back and the bar for what qualifies as a "sure I’ll hand over the footage" situation gets lower and lower. Today that bar is at non-violent property crime, but it’s entirely plausible that one day soon that bar is at organizing a protest in the camera’s view. Over reliance on citizen surveillance could also lead to an increase in snitches-get-stiches violence.
By marshallbanana on 08.06.19 11:33am
I would never had it over to the police. They can do their own dirty work.
By Ralphjoeylauren on 08.06.19 12:14pm
Most people say the same thing and then give statements without lawyers, mis-identify suspects and offer false confessions. Part of the police’s job is to both subtly and overtly intimidate citizens to get what they want.
By wigby on 08.06.19 12:43pm
Busting criminals who have broke into cars or houses in your neighborhood is considered "dirty work" these days huh?
By joshrocker on 08.06.19 12:49pm
lol are you deaf to the current climate between citizens and police? No one is worried about being protected. They are worried because that’s not what they do all the time.
By JesseDegenerate on 08.06.19 1:41pm
Such a huge eye roll. Arresting thieves is good police work. Police brutality or whatever else is a completely different topic and has nothing to do with a detective coming to your door and asking if you caught a break in on your security camera. Anyone that wouldn’t hand over the footage of a break in to a detective is part of the problem.
By joshrocker on 08.06.19 8:14pm
And you just pointed out the issue people are having with this program.
It’s your footage and you can do whatever you want with it, share it or don’t. What happens tho, if you don’t want to share it, will you become target of police harrasment or investigations? Not saying it’s def gonna happen, but it’s possible!
Another step towards a police state
By nobbs on 08.07.19 4:10am
right back at you, oh sheltered one. Police over reach has nothing to do with brutality either.
People who see nothing wrong with this are a way bigger part of the problem.
By JesseDegenerate on 08.08.19 8:14am
So in your world view, we should disband any and all police departments? Because if the general public is purposefully standing in their way and refusing to give them any help (and honestly, this is the most basic form of help), then they’re just a huge waste of taxpayer money.
Also, I think you guys should do the thieves of the world a favor and post your addresses. Sounds like your neighborhood would be a pretty safe one for them to do their work in. You’ll never turn over your footage to any cop, the police won’t have any evidence to stop them, and they can keep working. Sounds like everyone wins .
By joshrocker on 08.08.19 9:39am
are your arguments so weak you have to insert your interpretation of what I said rather than quoting me? No one thinks that. If you can’t talk to someone without putting your made up thoughts into the conversation, don’t bother.
so because I’m not naive to what actually happens in reality with police way to much of the time, (would you like a long list of citations?) I should be robbed. You’re a good person.
By JesseDegenerate on 08.09.19 12:22pm
I don’t know what else to say. You’re telling me that if your neighbors house was broken into that you wouldn’t hand over your security footage because police brutality is a thing. I think that’s a pretty low thing to do. I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.
By joshrocker on 08.09.19 3:44pm
If your neighbors son broke into your car and you had it on video and the neighbor didn’t want to do anything what then?
I have to admit: I would hand it over.
By Pingles on 08.06.19 6:33pm
What I’m hearing here is to set the location on my Ring camera to somewhere other than my home.
By billatq on 08.06.19 5:26pm
After the robbery in my house, I installed a security system from Kangaroo. Sensors placed on the windows and doors. Now I will always know if they want to rob me.
By Myts Stanislav on 08.13.19 5:09pm
I was looking for something simple for my rental apartment. I could not make any changes to the furnish of the apartment. An inexpensive system with easy installation of motion sensors and window/door sensors by HeyKangaroo has become a great solution for me.
By DariaPochivalova on 09.10.19 6:37am