Ring: Difference between revisions
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'''[[wikipedia:Ring_(company)|Ring]]''' is a manufacturer of home security and smart home devices owned by [[Amazon]], who acquired Ring in 2018.<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/12/amazon-officially-owns-ring-so-lets-talk-product-integration/</ref> Ring's products include their flagship Video Doorbell devices, as well as a number of cameras designed for mounting on the interior or exterior of properties. | '''[[wikipedia:Ring_(company)|Ring]]''' is a manufacturer of home security and smart home devices owned by [[Amazon]], who acquired Ring in 2018.<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/12/amazon-officially-owns-ring-so-lets-talk-product-integration/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250825111219/https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/12/amazon-officially-owns-ring-so-lets-talk-product-integration/ Archived])</ref> Ring's products include their flagship Video Doorbell devices, as well as a number of cameras designed for mounting on the interior or exterior of properties. | ||
The Ring line of devices have been involved in a number of controversies, largely related to the handling of user data. All data generated by a Ring device, including camera feeds, is processed on Amazon's servers. There have been a number of controversies relating to how this information is processed and with whom it is shared, with particular concern stemming from previously widespread internal access to Ring device data<ref name="FTC Report" />, as well as the sharing of data with various law enforcement agencies<ref name="BBC" />. | The Ring line of devices have been involved in a number of controversies, largely related to the handling of user data. All data generated by a Ring device, including camera feeds, is processed on Amazon's servers. There have been a number of controversies relating to how this information is processed and with whom it is shared, with particular concern stemming from previously widespread internal access to Ring device data<ref name="FTC Report" />, as well as the sharing of data with various law enforcement agencies<ref name="BBC" />. | ||
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===2023 FTC settlement=== | ===2023 FTC settlement=== | ||
In a complaint first announced in May 2023, the [[Federal Trade Commission]] says that Ring deceived its customers by failing to restrict employees’ and contractors’ access to its customers’ videos, using its customer videos to train algorithms without consent, and failing to implement security safeguards. These practices led to egregious violations of users’ privacy.<ref name="FTC Report">{{Cite web |date=2024-04-23 |title=FTC Sends Refunds to Ring Customers Stemming from 2023 Settlement over Charges the Company Failed to Block Employees and Hackers from Accessing Consumer Videos |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/04/ftc-sends-refunds-ring-customers-stemming-2023-settlement-over-charges-company-failed-block |website=FTC}}</ref> The stated failure in security safeguard implementation is the result of a 2019 data breach where the log-in credentials for 3,672 Ring camera owners were compromised, exposing log-in emails, passwords, time zones, and the names people give to specific Ring cameras. Using the log-in email and password, an intruder could access a Ring customer’s home address, telephone number, and payment information, including the kind of card they have, and its last four digits and security code. An intruder could also access live camera footage from all active Ring cameras associated with an account, as well as a 30- to 60-day video history, depending on the user’s [[Cloud (service)|cloud]] storage plan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolinehaskins1/data-leak-exposes-personal-data-over-3000-ring-camera-users|title=A Data Leak Exposed The Personal Information Of Over 3,000 Ring Users|first=Caroline|last=Haskins|date=2019-12-19|work=Buzzfeed}}</ref> | In a complaint first announced in May 2023, the [[Federal Trade Commission]] says that Ring deceived its customers by failing to restrict employees’ and contractors’ access to its customers’ videos, using its customer videos to train algorithms without consent, and failing to implement security safeguards. These practices led to egregious violations of users’ privacy.<ref name="FTC Report">{{Cite web |date=2024-04-23 |title=FTC Sends Refunds to Ring Customers Stemming from 2023 Settlement over Charges the Company Failed to Block Employees and Hackers from Accessing Consumer Videos |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/04/ftc-sends-refunds-ring-customers-stemming-2023-settlement-over-charges-company-failed-block |website=FTC |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260206034223/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/04/ftc-sends-refunds-ring-customers-stemming-2023-settlement-over-charges-company-failed-block |archive-date=6 Feb 2026}}</ref> The stated failure in security safeguard implementation is the result of a 2019 data breach where the log-in credentials for 3,672 Ring camera owners were compromised, exposing log-in emails, passwords, time zones, and the names people give to specific Ring cameras. Using the log-in email and password, an intruder could access a Ring customer’s home address, telephone number, and payment information, including the kind of card they have, and its last four digits and security code. An intruder could also access live camera footage from all active Ring cameras associated with an account, as well as a 30- to 60-day video history, depending on the user’s [[Cloud (service)|cloud]] storage plan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolinehaskins1/data-leak-exposes-personal-data-over-3000-ring-camera-users|title=A Data Leak Exposed The Personal Information Of Over 3,000 Ring Users|first=Caroline|last=Haskins|date=2019-12-19|work=Buzzfeed |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260217101243/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolinehaskins1/data-leak-exposes-personal-data-over-3000-ring-camera-users |archive-date=17 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
[[Ring]] settled the complaint for a sum of around $5.6 million to the 117,044 individuals who filed with the complaint, meaning the individual reimbursement was only around $60 per claim<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/04/ring-agrees-to-pay-5-6-million-after-cameras-were-used-to-spy-on-customers|title=Ring agrees to pay $5.6 million after cameras were used to spy on customers|date=2024-04-25|work=Malwarebytes Labs|first=Pieter|last=Arntz|access-date=2026-02-18}}</ref>; despite some users having lost privacy to highly sensitive videos as many users installed the cameras in sensitive spaces such as bedrooms for both adults and children. | [[Ring]] settled the complaint for a sum of around $5.6 million to the 117,044 individuals who filed with the complaint, meaning the individual reimbursement was only around $60 per claim<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/04/ring-agrees-to-pay-5-6-million-after-cameras-were-used-to-spy-on-customers|title=Ring agrees to pay $5.6 million after cameras were used to spy on customers|date=2024-04-25|work=Malwarebytes Labs|first=Pieter|last=Arntz|access-date=2026-02-18}}</ref>; despite some users having lost privacy to highly sensitive videos as many users installed the cameras in sensitive spaces such as bedrooms for both adults and children. | ||
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''The following section was sourced from [[Wikipedia:Ring_(company)#Vulnerabilities|Wikipedia]]:'' | ''The following section was sourced from [[Wikipedia:Ring_(company)#Vulnerabilities|Wikipedia]]:'' | ||
In January 2019, it was uncovered that employees at Ring's two offices had access to the video recordings from all Ring devices.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wiggers|first=Kyle|date=January 10, 2019|title=Ring employees reportedly had access to all live and recorded customer videos|work=VentureBeat|url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/01/10/ring-employees-reportedly-had-access-to-all-live-and-recorded-customer-videos/|access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> In addition, ''The Intercept'' reported that the video data was stored unencrypted.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Biddle|first=Sam|date=January 10, 2018|title=For Owners of Amazon's Ring Security Cameras, Strangers May Have Been Watching Too|work=The Intercept|url=https://theintercept.com/2019/01/10/amazon-ring-security-camera/|access-date=January 12, 2018}}</ref> In a December 2019 test, ''Motherboard'' found that Ring's software did not implement security features such as recognizing unknown IP addresses or providing a display of active login sessions, allowing the publication to access a Ring account from IP addresses based in multiple countries without warning the user.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Joseph|last1=Cox|access-date=February 20, 2020|title=We Tested Ring's Security. It's Awful|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/epg4xm/amazon-ring-camera-security|date=December 17, 2019|website=Vice}}</ref> | In January 2019, it was uncovered that employees at Ring's two offices had access to the video recordings from all Ring devices.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wiggers|first=Kyle|date=January 10, 2019|title=Ring employees reportedly had access to all live and recorded customer videos|work=VentureBeat|url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/01/10/ring-employees-reportedly-had-access-to-all-live-and-recorded-customer-videos/|access-date=January 12, 2019 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220706094119/https://venturebeat.com/2019/01/10/ring-employees-reportedly-had-access-to-all-live-and-recorded-customer-videos/ |archive-date=6 Jul 2022}}</ref> In addition, ''The Intercept'' reported that the video data was stored unencrypted.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Biddle|first=Sam|date=January 10, 2018|title=For Owners of Amazon's Ring Security Cameras, Strangers May Have Been Watching Too|work=The Intercept|url=https://theintercept.com/2019/01/10/amazon-ring-security-camera/|access-date=January 12, 2018 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220162231/https://theintercept.com/2019/01/10/amazon-ring-security-camera/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref> In a December 2019 test, ''Motherboard'' found that Ring's software did not implement security features such as recognizing unknown IP addresses or providing a display of active login sessions, allowing the publication to access a Ring account from IP addresses based in multiple countries without warning the user.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Joseph|last1=Cox|access-date=February 20, 2020|title=We Tested Ring's Security. It's Awful|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/epg4xm/amazon-ring-camera-security|date=December 17, 2019|website=Vice |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20200928122245/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/epg4xm/amazon-ring-camera-security |archive-date=28 Sep 2020}}</ref> | ||
The Neighbors network leaks metadata about the footage posted in videos and "crime alerts". This metadata, combined with public city map data, is frequently sufficient to discover the exact location of the Ring doorbell or a camera. In one experiment, ''Gizmodo'' located 20,000 devices based on information collected (scraped from the app) over a period of month. University researchers were able to locate 440,000 devices using data spanning back to 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ring's Hidden Data Let Us Map Amazon's Sprawling Home Surveillance Network|url=https://gizmodo.com/ring-s-hidden-data-let-us-map-amazons-sprawling-home-su-1840312279|access-date=November 27, 2020|website=Gizmodo|date=December 9, 2019|language=en-us}}</ref> | The Neighbors network leaks metadata about the footage posted in videos and "crime alerts". This metadata, combined with public city map data, is frequently sufficient to discover the exact location of the Ring doorbell or a camera. In one experiment, ''Gizmodo'' located 20,000 devices based on information collected (scraped from the app) over a period of month. University researchers were able to locate 440,000 devices using data spanning back to 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ring's Hidden Data Let Us Map Amazon's Sprawling Home Surveillance Network|url=https://gizmodo.com/ring-s-hidden-data-let-us-map-amazons-sprawling-home-su-1840312279|access-date=November 27, 2020|website=Gizmodo|date=December 9, 2019|language=en-us |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220163124/https://gizmodo.com/ring-s-hidden-data-let-us-map-amazons-sprawling-home-su-1840312279 |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
Cybersecurity firm Bitdefender identified a vulnerability in the Ring Video Doorbell Pro product in July 2019, which was patched before being publicly disclosed in November 2019.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Palmer|first1=Danny|date=November 7, 2019|title=Amazon fixes Ring Video Doorbell wi-fi security vulnerability|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/amazon-fixes-ring-video-doorbell-wi-fi-security-vulnerability/|access-date=December 13, 2019|website=ZDNet}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Ng|first1=Alfred|date=November 7, 2019|title=Ring doorbells had vulnerability leaking Wi-Fi login info, researchers find|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/ring-doorbells-had-vulnerability-leaking-wi-fi-login-info-researchers-found/|access-date=December 13, 2019|website=CNET}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=November 7, 2019|title=Ring Video Doorbell Pro Under the Scope|url=https://www.bitdefender.com/files/News/CaseStudies/study/294/Bitdefender-WhitePaper-RDoor-CREA3949-en-EN-GenericUse.pdf|access-date=December 13, 2019|website=Bitdefender}}</ref> Hackers accessed a number of Ring cameras in December 2019 and used the device speakers to broadcast racial slurs, threats, and other inflammatory language to multiple households across the United States.<ref name="Vice podcast">{{cite web|last1=Cox|first1=Joseph|last2=Koebler|first2=Jason|date=December 12, 2019|title=Inside the Podcast that Hacks Ring Camera Owners Live on Air|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/z3bbq4/podcast-livestreams-hacked-ring-cameras-nulledcast|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=Vice}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Murdock|first1=Jason|date=December 10, 2019|title=Ring camera hacker uses home security system to spew racial slurs at Florida family|url=https://www.newsweek.com/florida-cape-coral-amazon-ring-home-security-system-hacked-racial-slurs-1476430|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=Newsweek}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Howerton|first=Matt|date=December 11, 2019|title=Hacker says, 'pay bitcoin ransom or get terminated,' through couple's Ring security cameras|url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/hacker-says-pay-bitcoin-ransom-or-get-terminated-through-couples-ring-security-cameras/287-226c535c-c765-4b29-91b6-d849fb315e94|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=WFAA}}</ref> A ''Motherboard'' investigation discovered crime forums that distributed software exploits of Ring devices that were used in the cyberattacks, and that members of the hacking forum Nulled had been recording their breaches as "podcasts".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Cox|first1=Joseph|last2=Cole|first2=Samantha|date=December 11, 2019|title=How Hackers Are Breaking Into Ring Cameras|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3a88k5/how-hackers-are-breaking-into-ring-cameras|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=Vice}}</ref> Ring responded to the incidents by advising its users to have strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and adopt other security measures.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Holley|first1=Jessica|title=Family says hackers accessed a Ring camera in their 8-year-old daughter's room|url=https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/12/11/family-says-hackers-accessed-ring-camera-their-year-old-daughters-room/|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=WMC Action News 5|date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> Ring mandated two-factor authentication for all users on February 18, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 19, 2020|title=Ring makes two-step verification mandatory|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51555450|access-date=February 20, 2020|website=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Song|first=Victoria|date=February 18, 2020|title=Ring Finally Rolls Out Mandatory Two-Factor Authentication After Privacy Scandals|url=https://gizmodo.com/ring-finally-rolls-out-mandatory-two-factor-authenticat-1841760958|access-date=February 20, 2020|website=Gizmodo}}</ref> | Cybersecurity firm Bitdefender identified a vulnerability in the Ring Video Doorbell Pro product in July 2019, which was patched before being publicly disclosed in November 2019.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Palmer|first1=Danny|date=November 7, 2019|title=Amazon fixes Ring Video Doorbell wi-fi security vulnerability|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/amazon-fixes-ring-video-doorbell-wi-fi-security-vulnerability/|access-date=December 13, 2019|website=ZDNet |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251009165958/https://www.zdnet.com/article/amazon-fixes-ring-video-doorbell-wi-fi-security-vulnerability/ |archive-date=9 Oct 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Ng|first1=Alfred|date=November 7, 2019|title=Ring doorbells had vulnerability leaking Wi-Fi login info, researchers find|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/ring-doorbells-had-vulnerability-leaking-wi-fi-login-info-researchers-found/|access-date=December 13, 2019|website=CNET |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210219004814/https://www.cnet.com/news/ring-doorbells-had-vulnerability-leaking-wi-fi-login-info-researchers-found/ |archive-date=19 Feb 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=November 7, 2019|title=Ring Video Doorbell Pro Under the Scope|url=https://www.bitdefender.com/files/News/CaseStudies/study/294/Bitdefender-WhitePaper-RDoor-CREA3949-en-EN-GenericUse.pdf|access-date=December 13, 2019|website=Bitdefender |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251222234028/https://www.bitdefender.com/files/News/CaseStudies/study/294/Bitdefender-WhitePaper-RDoor-CREA3949-en-EN-GenericUse.pdf |archive-date=22 Dec 2025}}</ref> Hackers accessed a number of Ring cameras in December 2019 and used the device speakers to broadcast racial slurs, threats, and other inflammatory language to multiple households across the United States.<ref name="Vice podcast">{{cite web|last1=Cox|first1=Joseph|last2=Koebler|first2=Jason|date=December 12, 2019|title=Inside the Podcast that Hacks Ring Camera Owners Live on Air|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/z3bbq4/podcast-livestreams-hacked-ring-cameras-nulledcast|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=Vice |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20200913125207/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/z3bbq4/podcast-livestreams-hacked-ring-cameras-nulledcast |archive-date=13 Sep 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Murdock|first1=Jason|date=December 10, 2019|title=Ring camera hacker uses home security system to spew racial slurs at Florida family|url=https://www.newsweek.com/florida-cape-coral-amazon-ring-home-security-system-hacked-racial-slurs-1476430|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=Newsweek |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251115121626/https://www.newsweek.com/florida-cape-coral-amazon-ring-home-security-system-hacked-racial-slurs-1476430 |archive-date=15 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Howerton|first=Matt|date=December 11, 2019|title=Hacker says, 'pay bitcoin ransom or get terminated,' through couple's Ring security cameras|url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/hacker-says-pay-bitcoin-ransom-or-get-terminated-through-couples-ring-security-cameras/287-226c535c-c765-4b29-91b6-d849fb315e94|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=WFAA |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231005180103/https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/hacker-says-pay-bitcoin-ransom-or-get-terminated-through-couples-ring-security-cameras/287-226c535c-c765-4b29-91b6-d849fb315e94 |archive-date=5 Oct 2023}}</ref> A ''Motherboard'' investigation discovered crime forums that distributed software exploits of Ring devices that were used in the cyberattacks, and that members of the hacking forum Nulled had been recording their breaches as "podcasts".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Cox|first1=Joseph|last2=Cole|first2=Samantha|date=December 11, 2019|title=How Hackers Are Breaking Into Ring Cameras|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3a88k5/how-hackers-are-breaking-into-ring-cameras|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=Vice |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20200920060332/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3a88k5/how-hackers-are-breaking-into-ring-cameras |archive-date=20 Sep 2020}}</ref> Ring responded to the incidents by advising its users to have strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and adopt other security measures.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Holley|first1=Jessica|title=Family says hackers accessed a Ring camera in their 8-year-old daughter's room|url=https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/12/11/family-says-hackers-accessed-ring-camera-their-year-old-daughters-room/|access-date=December 12, 2019|website=WMC Action News 5|date=December 12, 2019 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210724192131/https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/12/11/family-says-hackers-accessed-ring-camera-their-year-old-daughters-room/ |archive-date=24 Jul 2021}}</ref> Ring mandated two-factor authentication for all users on February 18, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 19, 2020|title=Ring makes two-step verification mandatory|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51555450|access-date=February 20, 2020|website=BBC News |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220162452/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51555450 |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Song|first=Victoria|date=February 18, 2020|title=Ring Finally Rolls Out Mandatory Two-Factor Authentication After Privacy Scandals|url=https://gizmodo.com/ring-finally-rolls-out-mandatory-two-factor-authenticat-1841760958|access-date=February 20, 2020|website=Gizmodo |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220163648/https://gizmodo.com/ring-finally-rolls-out-mandatory-two-factor-authenticat-1841760958 |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
==Controversies== | ==Controversies== | ||
===Subscription required for local storage=== | ===Subscription required for local storage=== | ||
[[Ring]] security cameras are a premium line of security cameras.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/22704290/amazon-blink-ring-camera-doorbell-brands-smart-home-why</ref> There are different subscriptions possible, there is basic, standard and premium.<ref name=":0">https://ring.com/plans; [https://web.archive.org/web/20250124214629/https://ring.com/plans Archive link of 2025-01-24]</ref> Ring cameras are [[Cloud (service)|cloud-first]], and with these subscriptions comes different variants of [[Cloud (service)|cloud]] storage for the video footage that your cameras record. There is also an additional product that you can buy, and for local recordings there is even a must buy for the more premium products.<ref>https://ring.com/support/articles/t6xbc/Store-and-Process-Videos-Locally-with-Ring-Edge-and-Ring-Alarm-Pro</ref> To record locally to a MicroSD card, you need the Ring Alarm Pro base station ($249.99)<ref>https://ring.com/products/alarm-pro-base-station; [https://web.archive.org/web/20250108152541/https://ring.com/products/alarm-pro-base-station Archive link of 2025-01-08]</ref> and what is called "Ring Edge for Alarm Pro" in your subscription. The only subscription that offers this feature is the most expensive subscription, which is the premium subscription, costing $19.99/mo or $199.99/yr.<ref name=":0" /> | [[Ring]] security cameras are a premium line of security cameras.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/22704290/amazon-blink-ring-camera-doorbell-brands-smart-home-why ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260128131837/https://www.theverge.com/22704290/amazon-blink-ring-camera-doorbell-brands-smart-home-why Archived])</ref> There are different subscriptions possible, there is basic, standard and premium.<ref name=":0">https://ring.com/plans; [https://web.archive.org/web/20250124214629/https://ring.com/plans Archive link of 2025-01-24]</ref> Ring cameras are [[Cloud (service)|cloud-first]], and with these subscriptions comes different variants of [[Cloud (service)|cloud]] storage for the video footage that your cameras record. There is also an additional product that you can buy, and for local recordings there is even a must buy for the more premium products.<ref>https://ring.com/support/articles/t6xbc/Store-and-Process-Videos-Locally-with-Ring-Edge-and-Ring-Alarm-Pro ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260220163915/https://ring.com/support/articles/t6xbc/Store-and-Process-Videos-Locally-with-Ring-Edge-and-Ring-Alarm-Pro Archived])</ref> To record locally to a MicroSD card, you need the Ring Alarm Pro base station ($249.99)<ref>https://ring.com/products/alarm-pro-base-station; [https://web.archive.org/web/20250108152541/https://ring.com/products/alarm-pro-base-station Archive link of 2025-01-08]</ref> and what is called "Ring Edge for Alarm Pro" in your subscription. The only subscription that offers this feature is the most expensive subscription, which is the premium subscription, costing $19.99/mo or $199.99/yr.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
===Police partnerships=== | ===Police partnerships=== | ||
''The following section was sourced from [[Wikipedia:Ring_(company)#Police_partnerships|Wikipedia]]:'' | ''The following section was sourced from [[Wikipedia:Ring_(company)#Police_partnerships|Wikipedia]]:'' | ||
In June 2019, Ring faced criticism over a "Community Alert" program, under which the company has made geographically-targeted sponsored posts on social media services such as [[Meta|Facebook]], asking readers to provide tips on suspects in verified cases, based on imagery posted on the Neighbors service by a Ring customer. Ring stated that it sought permission from the user before using their content in this manner. However, these discoveries did lead to concerns over the use of such footage in material deemed to effectively be advertising, as well as concerns over other possible uses of the footage (such as for training facial recognition) due to the wide copyright license that users must grant to in order to use Neighbors (an irrevocable, unlimited, and royalty-free license to use shared content "for any purpose and in any media formats in any media channels without compensation to you"), and Ring's partnerships with local law enforcement agencies.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reichert|first=Corinne|title=Ring puts suspected thief in Facebook sponsored ads|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/ring-puts-suspected-thief-in-facebook-sponsored-ads/|access-date=June 18, 2019|website=CNET|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Alba|first1=Davey|last2=Mac|first2=Ryan|date=June 7, 2019|title=Amazon's Doorbell Camera Company Is Using Security Video For Ads. That May Only Be The Beginning.|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/daveyalba/amazon-ring-doorbell-company-using-security-footage-for-ads|access-date=June 12, 2019|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en}}</ref> | In June 2019, Ring faced criticism over a "Community Alert" program, under which the company has made geographically-targeted sponsored posts on social media services such as [[Meta|Facebook]], asking readers to provide tips on suspects in verified cases, based on imagery posted on the Neighbors service by a Ring customer. Ring stated that it sought permission from the user before using their content in this manner. However, these discoveries did lead to concerns over the use of such footage in material deemed to effectively be advertising, as well as concerns over other possible uses of the footage (such as for training facial recognition) due to the wide copyright license that users must grant to in order to use Neighbors (an irrevocable, unlimited, and royalty-free license to use shared content "for any purpose and in any media formats in any media channels without compensation to you"), and Ring's partnerships with local law enforcement agencies.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reichert|first=Corinne|title=Ring puts suspected thief in Facebook sponsored ads|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/ring-puts-suspected-thief-in-facebook-sponsored-ads/|access-date=June 18, 2019|website=CNET|language=en |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20201127201634/https://www.cnet.com/news/ring-puts-suspected-thief-in-facebook-sponsored-ads/ |archive-date=27 Nov 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Alba|first1=Davey|last2=Mac|first2=Ryan|date=June 7, 2019|title=Amazon's Doorbell Camera Company Is Using Security Video For Ads. That May Only Be The Beginning.|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/daveyalba/amazon-ring-doorbell-company-using-security-footage-for-ads|access-date=June 12, 2019|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251116071705/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/daveyalba/amazon-ring-doorbell-company-using-security-footage-for-ads |archive-date=16 Nov 2025}}</ref> | ||
Digital rights advocacy group Fight for the Future criticized Ring for using its cameras and Neighbors app to build a private surveillance network via partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, which encourage them to promote the products. The group stated that these partnerships "undermine our democratic process and basic civil liberties".<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49191005|title=Amazon's Ring doorbell police tie-up criticised|work=BBC News|date=August 1, 2019|access-date=August 3, 2019|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/this-map-tells-you-where-police-have-partnered-with-amazons-ring/|title=This map tells you where police have partnered with Amazon's Ring|last=Ng|first=Alfred|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=August 3, 2019}}</ref> According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Ring used these partnerships and its marketing strategies to foster fear, which leads to a "vicious cycle" that spurs hardware sales. The organization said that Ring, as well as Neighbors and similar "neighborhood watch" apps such as Citizen and Nextdoor, "facilitate reporting of so-called 'suspicious' behavior that really amounts to racial profiling."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/amazons-ring-perfect-storm-privacy-threats|title=Amazon's Ring Is a Perfect Storm of Privacy Threats|last=Guariglia|first=Matthew|date=August 8, 2019|website=Electronic Frontier Foundation|language=en|access-date=August 13, 2019}}</ref> Matt Cagle of the American Civil Liberties Union said that the Ring Neighbors Portal "blurs the line between corporate and government surveillance" and that "Many people are not going to feel like they have a choice when law enforcement asks for access to their footage".<ref name="Intercept">{{cite web|last=Biddle|first=Sam|date=February 14, 2019|title=Amazon's Home Surveillance Chief Declared War on "Dirtbag Criminals" as Company Got Closer to Police|url=https://theintercept.com/2019/02/14/amazon-ring-police-surveillance/|access-date=January 17, 2020|website=The Intercept}}</ref> | Digital rights advocacy group Fight for the Future criticized Ring for using its cameras and Neighbors app to build a private surveillance network via partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, which encourage them to promote the products. The group stated that these partnerships "undermine our democratic process and basic civil liberties".<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49191005|title=Amazon's Ring doorbell police tie-up criticised|work=BBC News|date=August 1, 2019|access-date=August 3, 2019|language=en-GB |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220164103/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49191005 |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/this-map-tells-you-where-police-have-partnered-with-amazons-ring/|title=This map tells you where police have partnered with Amazon's Ring|last=Ng|first=Alfred|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=August 3, 2019 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20201108021709/https://www.cnet.com/news/this-map-tells-you-where-police-have-partnered-with-amazons-ring/ |archive-date=8 Nov 2020}}</ref> According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Ring used these partnerships and its marketing strategies to foster fear, which leads to a "vicious cycle" that spurs hardware sales. The organization said that Ring, as well as Neighbors and similar "neighborhood watch" apps such as Citizen and Nextdoor, "facilitate reporting of so-called 'suspicious' behavior that really amounts to racial profiling."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/amazons-ring-perfect-storm-privacy-threats|title=Amazon's Ring Is a Perfect Storm of Privacy Threats|last=Guariglia|first=Matthew|date=August 8, 2019|website=Electronic Frontier Foundation|language=en|access-date=August 13, 2019 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260104152148/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/amazons-ring-perfect-storm-privacy-threats |archive-date=4 Jan 2026}}</ref> Matt Cagle of the American Civil Liberties Union said that the Ring Neighbors Portal "blurs the line between corporate and government surveillance" and that "Many people are not going to feel like they have a choice when law enforcement asks for access to their footage".<ref name="Intercept">{{cite web|last=Biddle|first=Sam|date=February 14, 2019|title=Amazon's Home Surveillance Chief Declared War on "Dirtbag Criminals" as Company Got Closer to Police|url=https://theintercept.com/2019/02/14/amazon-ring-police-surveillance/|access-date=January 17, 2020|website=The Intercept |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220164207/https://theintercept.com/2019/02/14/amazon-ring-police-surveillance/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
In July 2019, Vice publication ''Motherboard'' obtained records revealing the extent of Ring's partnership with the Lakeland (Florida) Police Department (LPD). The department was granted access to a "Law Enforcement Neighborhood Portal" for making posts on Neighbors and the ability to "request videos directly from Ring users," and received a donation of 15 Ring cameras. However, the memorandum of understanding stated that the LPD would be required to participate in "outreach efforts on the platform to encourage adoption of the platform/app" (receiving $10 credits for Ring camera purchases for each new user). Ring also recommended that the LPD establish specific new positions for the partnership, including a "social media coordinator".<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Haskins|first1=Caroline|last2=Koebler|first2=Jason|date=July 25, 2019|title=Amazon Requires Police to Shill Surveillance Cameras in Secret Agreement|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mb88za/amazon-requires-police-to-shill-surveillance-cameras-in-secret-agreement|access-date=August 2, 2019|website=Vice|language=en-US}}</ref> Later in the month, ''Motherboard'' obtained public records containing an officer's notes from an April 2019 training webinar, which stated that Ring had partnered with at least 200 law enforcement partners.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Haskins|first1=Caroline|last2=Maiberg|first2=Emanuel|last3=Mead|first3=Derek|last4=Koebler|first4=Jason|date=July 29, 2019|title=Amazon Told Police It Has Partnered With 200 Law Enforcement Agencies|url=https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/j5wyjy/amazon-told-police-it-has-partnered-with-200-law-enforcement-agencies|access-date=August 2, 2019|website=Vice|language=en-US}}</ref> In early August 2019, ''Motherboard'' also reported that Ring would match payments by cities to cover the subsidized purchase of Ring cameras, so that they could be resold to residents at a discount.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Haskins|first1=Caroline|last2=Koebler|first2=Jason|last3=Mead|first3=Derek|date=August 2, 2019|title=US Cities Are Helping People Buy Amazon Surveillance Cameras With Taxpayer Money|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d3ag37/us-cities-are-helping-people-buy-amazon-surveillance-cameras-using-taxpayer-money|access-date=August 2, 2019|website=Vice|language=en-US}}</ref> | In July 2019, Vice publication ''Motherboard'' obtained records revealing the extent of Ring's partnership with the Lakeland (Florida) Police Department (LPD). The department was granted access to a "Law Enforcement Neighborhood Portal" for making posts on Neighbors and the ability to "request videos directly from Ring users," and received a donation of 15 Ring cameras. However, the memorandum of understanding stated that the LPD would be required to participate in "outreach efforts on the platform to encourage adoption of the platform/app" (receiving $10 credits for Ring camera purchases for each new user). Ring also recommended that the LPD establish specific new positions for the partnership, including a "social media coordinator".<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Haskins|first1=Caroline|last2=Koebler|first2=Jason|date=July 25, 2019|title=Amazon Requires Police to Shill Surveillance Cameras in Secret Agreement|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mb88za/amazon-requires-police-to-shill-surveillance-cameras-in-secret-agreement|access-date=August 2, 2019|website=Vice|language=en-US |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20200923141543/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mb88za/amazon-requires-police-to-shill-surveillance-cameras-in-secret-agreement |archive-date=23 Sep 2020}}</ref> Later in the month, ''Motherboard'' obtained public records containing an officer's notes from an April 2019 training webinar, which stated that Ring had partnered with at least 200 law enforcement partners.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Haskins|first1=Caroline|last2=Maiberg|first2=Emanuel|last3=Mead|first3=Derek|last4=Koebler|first4=Jason|date=July 29, 2019|title=Amazon Told Police It Has Partnered With 200 Law Enforcement Agencies|url=https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/j5wyjy/amazon-told-police-it-has-partnered-with-200-law-enforcement-agencies|access-date=August 2, 2019|website=Vice|language=en-US |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20200903114936/https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/j5wyjy/amazon-told-police-it-has-partnered-with-200-law-enforcement-agencies |archive-date=3 Sep 2020}}</ref> In early August 2019, ''Motherboard'' also reported that Ring would match payments by cities to cover the subsidized purchase of Ring cameras, so that they could be resold to residents at a discount.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Haskins|first1=Caroline|last2=Koebler|first2=Jason|last3=Mead|first3=Derek|date=August 2, 2019|title=US Cities Are Helping People Buy Amazon Surveillance Cameras With Taxpayer Money|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d3ag37/us-cities-are-helping-people-buy-amazon-surveillance-cameras-using-taxpayer-money|access-date=August 2, 2019|website=Vice|language=en-US |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20200921052023/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d3ag37/us-cities-are-helping-people-buy-amazon-surveillance-cameras-using-taxpayer-money |archive-date=21 Sep 2020}}</ref> | ||
In November 2020, a pilot program in Jackson, Mississippi, enabled participating Ring users to enable police to livestream their cameras at any time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Holmes|first=Aaron|title=Police are tapping into residents' Ring doorbells and home security cameras to stream 24/7 live video|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ring-doorbells-live-video-security-camera-police-fusus-2020-11|access-date=November 11, 2020|website=Business Insider}}</ref> | In November 2020, a pilot program in Jackson, Mississippi, enabled participating Ring users to enable police to livestream their cameras at any time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Holmes|first=Aaron|title=Police are tapping into residents' Ring doorbells and home security cameras to stream 24/7 live video|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ring-doorbells-live-video-security-camera-police-fusus-2020-11|access-date=November 11, 2020|website=Business Insider |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251128223106/https://www.businessinsider.com/ring-doorbells-live-video-security-camera-police-fusus-2020-11 |archive-date=28 Nov 2025}}</ref> | ||
===Alleged use of facial recognition technology=== | ===Alleged use of facial recognition technology=== | ||
''The following section was sourced from [[Wikipedia:Ring_(company)#Alleged_use_of_facial_recognition_technology|Wikipedia]]:'' | ''The following section was sourced from [[Wikipedia:Ring_(company)#Alleged_use_of_facial_recognition_technology|Wikipedia]]:'' | ||
In February 2018, Business Insider reported references to use of facial recognition technology in Ring's privacy policy. The policy stated:<blockquote>Where permitted by applicable law, you may choose to use additional functionality in your Ring product that, through video data from your device, '''can recognize facial characteristics of familiar visitors'''. For example, you may want to receive different notifications from your Ring Doorbell depending on whether a visitor is a stranger or a member of your household. '''If you choose to activate this feature, we obtain certain facial feature information about the visitors you ask your Ring product to recognize'''. We require your explicit consent before you can take advantage of this feature.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ghosh|first=Shona|title=Amazon's newest acquisition, the doorbell startup Ring, made a smart move to fend off Google|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-smart-doorbell-ring-facial-recognition-2018-2|access-date=2023-07-20|website=Business Insider|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-25|title=Privacy {{!}} Ring|url=https://shop.ring.com/pages/privacy|access-date=2023-07-20|archive-date=July 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725110729/https://shop.ring.com/pages/privacy}}</ref></blockquote>In December 2018, patents filed by Ring surfaced to identify "suspicious" people and automatically alert police.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Amazon's Ring takes heat for considering facial recognition for its video doorbells|url=https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/amazons-ring-takes-heat-for-considering-facial-recognition-for-its-video-doorbells/|access-date=2023-07-20|website=CNET|language=en}}</ref> | In February 2018, Business Insider reported references to use of facial recognition technology in Ring's privacy policy. The policy stated:<blockquote>Where permitted by applicable law, you may choose to use additional functionality in your Ring product that, through video data from your device, '''can recognize facial characteristics of familiar visitors'''. For example, you may want to receive different notifications from your Ring Doorbell depending on whether a visitor is a stranger or a member of your household. '''If you choose to activate this feature, we obtain certain facial feature information about the visitors you ask your Ring product to recognize'''. We require your explicit consent before you can take advantage of this feature.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ghosh|first=Shona|title=Amazon's newest acquisition, the doorbell startup Ring, made a smart move to fend off Google|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-smart-doorbell-ring-facial-recognition-2018-2|access-date=2023-07-20|website=Business Insider|language=en-US |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220162805/https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-smart-doorbell-ring-facial-recognition-2018-2 |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-25|title=Privacy {{!}} Ring|url=https://shop.ring.com/pages/privacy|access-date=2023-07-20|archive-date=July 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725110729/https://shop.ring.com/pages/privacy}}</ref></blockquote>In December 2018, patents filed by Ring surfaced to identify "suspicious" people and automatically alert police.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Amazon's Ring takes heat for considering facial recognition for its video doorbells|url=https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/amazons-ring-takes-heat-for-considering-facial-recognition-for-its-video-doorbells/|access-date=2023-07-20|website=CNET|language=en |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260206023324/https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/amazons-ring-takes-heat-for-considering-facial-recognition-for-its-video-doorbells/ |archive-date=6 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
In August 2019, a Buzzfeed News reported, "Ring Says It Doesn't Use Facial Recognition, But It Has "A Head Of Face Recognition Research."" The piece reported on a 2018 presentation from Ring Ukraine's "Head of Face Recognition Research", as well as a statement from Ring Ukraine's website stating, "We develop semi-automated crime prevention and monitoring systems which are based on, but not limited to, face recognition."<ref>{{Cite web|first1=Nicole|last1=Nguyen|first2=Ryan|last2=Mac|date=2019-08-30|title=Ring Says It Doesn't Use Facial Recognition, But It Has "A Head Of Face Recognition Research"|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nicolenguyen/amazon-ring-facial-recognition-ukraine|access-date=2023-07-20|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-05-23|title=Ring Ukraine|url=https://ring-ukraine.com/|access-date=2023-07-20|archive-date=May 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523100219/https://ring-ukraine.com/}}</ref> | In August 2019, a Buzzfeed News reported, "Ring Says It Doesn't Use Facial Recognition, But It Has "A Head Of Face Recognition Research."" The piece reported on a 2018 presentation from Ring Ukraine's "Head of Face Recognition Research", as well as a statement from Ring Ukraine's website stating, "We develop semi-automated crime prevention and monitoring systems which are based on, but not limited to, face recognition."<ref>{{Cite web|first1=Nicole|last1=Nguyen|first2=Ryan|last2=Mac|date=2019-08-30|title=Ring Says It Doesn't Use Facial Recognition, But It Has "A Head Of Face Recognition Research"|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nicolenguyen/amazon-ring-facial-recognition-ukraine|access-date=2023-07-20|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260206023425/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nicolenguyen/amazon-ring-facial-recognition-ukraine |archive-date=6 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-05-23|title=Ring Ukraine|url=https://ring-ukraine.com/|access-date=2023-07-20|archive-date=May 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523100219/https://ring-ukraine.com/}}</ref> | ||
Also in 2019, as part of his investigation into Ring's cooperation with law enforcement, Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts probed the company's privacy policy's reference to use of facial recognition technology.<ref>{{Cite web|title=September 2019 Inquiry Letter from Sen. Markey to Ring|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Markey%20letter%20-%20Ring%20Law%20Enforcement%209.5.19.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Markey Investigation into Amazon Ring Doorbell Reveals Egregiously Lax Privacy Policies and Civil Rights Protections {{!}} U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-investigation-into-amazon-ring-doorbell-reveals-egregiously-lax-privacy-policies-and-civil-rights-protections|access-date=2023-07-20|website=www.markey.senate.gov|language=en}}</ref> Amazon responded:<blockquote>We do not currently offer facial recognition technology in Ring products. This sentence in the Privacy Notice refers to a contemplated, but unreleased feature. We do frequently innovate based on customer demand, and facial recognition features are increasingly common in consumer security cameras today, such as: Google Nest Hello, Tend Secure Lynx, Netamo Welcome, Wisenet Smartcam, and Honeywell Smart Home Security. If our customers want these features in Ring security cameras, we will only release these feature with thoughtful design including privacy, security, and user control; and we will clearly communicate with our customers as we offer new features.<ref>{{Cite web|title=November 2019 Response from Amazon to Sen. Markey|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Response%20Letter_Ring_Senator%20Markey%2011.01.2019.pdf}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2019, the Intercept reported on internal documents detailing "Proactive Suspect Matching". The feature would use facial recognition to group videos and create a profile of an alleged criminal based on Ring camera footage.<ref name="Intercept" /> Ring denied that the feature was in use or development. | Also in 2019, as part of his investigation into Ring's cooperation with law enforcement, Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts probed the company's privacy policy's reference to use of facial recognition technology.<ref>{{Cite web|title=September 2019 Inquiry Letter from Sen. Markey to Ring|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Markey%20letter%20-%20Ring%20Law%20Enforcement%209.5.19.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251117092911/https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Markey%20letter%20-%20Ring%20Law%20Enforcement%209.5.19.pdf |archive-date=17 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Markey Investigation into Amazon Ring Doorbell Reveals Egregiously Lax Privacy Policies and Civil Rights Protections {{!}} U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-investigation-into-amazon-ring-doorbell-reveals-egregiously-lax-privacy-policies-and-civil-rights-protections|access-date=2023-07-20|website=www.markey.senate.gov|language=en}}</ref> Amazon responded:<blockquote>We do not currently offer facial recognition technology in Ring products. This sentence in the Privacy Notice refers to a contemplated, but unreleased feature. We do frequently innovate based on customer demand, and facial recognition features are increasingly common in consumer security cameras today, such as: Google Nest Hello, Tend Secure Lynx, Netamo Welcome, Wisenet Smartcam, and Honeywell Smart Home Security. If our customers want these features in Ring security cameras, we will only release these feature with thoughtful design including privacy, security, and user control; and we will clearly communicate with our customers as we offer new features.<ref>{{Cite web|title=November 2019 Response from Amazon to Sen. Markey|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Response%20Letter_Ring_Senator%20Markey%2011.01.2019.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251005210212/https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Response%20Letter_Ring_Senator%20Markey%2011.01.2019.pdf |archive-date=5 Oct 2025}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2019, the Intercept reported on internal documents detailing "Proactive Suspect Matching". The feature would use facial recognition to group videos and create a profile of an alleged criminal based on Ring camera footage.<ref name="Intercept" /> Ring denied that the feature was in use or development. | ||
In 2020, Ring posted a one-sentence position stance on their blog stating, "Ring does not use facial recognition technology in any of its devices or services, and will neither sell nor offer facial recognition technology to law enforcement."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ring|date=2020-08-20|title=Ring's Stance on Facial Recognition Technology|url=https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/rings-stance-on-facial-recognition-technology/|access-date=2023-07-20|website=The Ring Blog|language=en}}</ref> In 2021, Senator Markey and his colleagues introduced the "Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senators Markey, Merkley Lead Colleagues on Legislation to Ban Government Use of Facial Recognition, Other Biometric Technology {{!}} U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-merkley-lead-colleagues-on-legislation-to-ban-government-use-of-facial-recognition-other-biometric-technology|access-date=2023-07-20|website=www.markey.senate.gov|language=en}}</ref> A year later, Markey renewed his investigation into Ring,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Markey Renews Investigation into Amazon Ring's Surveillance Practices and Cooperation with Police {{!}} U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-renews-investigation-into-amazon-rings-surveillance-practices-and-cooperation-with-police|access-date=2023-07-20|website=www.markey.senate.gov|language=en}}</ref> and in July 2022, Markey cited Ring's "[refusal] to commit to not incorporating facial recognition technology in its products" as evidence of the need for legislation to "prohibit use of biometric technology by federal agencies and condition federal grant funding to state and local entities on moratoria on the use of biometric technology."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Markey's Probe into Amazon Ring Reveals New Privacy Problems {{!}} U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markeys-probe-into-amazon-ring-reveals-new-privacy-problems|access-date=2023-07-20|website=www.markey.senate.gov|language=en}}</ref> | In 2020, Ring posted a one-sentence position stance on their blog stating, "Ring does not use facial recognition technology in any of its devices or services, and will neither sell nor offer facial recognition technology to law enforcement."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ring|date=2020-08-20|title=Ring's Stance on Facial Recognition Technology|url=https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/rings-stance-on-facial-recognition-technology/|access-date=2023-07-20|website=The Ring Blog|language=en |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220164227/https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/rings-stance-on-facial-recognition-technology/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref> In 2021, Senator Markey and his colleagues introduced the "Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senators Markey, Merkley Lead Colleagues on Legislation to Ban Government Use of Facial Recognition, Other Biometric Technology {{!}} U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-merkley-lead-colleagues-on-legislation-to-ban-government-use-of-facial-recognition-other-biometric-technology|access-date=2023-07-20|website=www.markey.senate.gov|language=en}}</ref> A year later, Markey renewed his investigation into Ring,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Markey Renews Investigation into Amazon Ring's Surveillance Practices and Cooperation with Police {{!}} U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-renews-investigation-into-amazon-rings-surveillance-practices-and-cooperation-with-police|access-date=2023-07-20|website=www.markey.senate.gov|language=en}}</ref> and in July 2022, Markey cited Ring's "[refusal] to commit to not incorporating facial recognition technology in its products" as evidence of the need for legislation to "prohibit use of biometric technology by federal agencies and condition federal grant funding to state and local entities on moratoria on the use of biometric technology."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Markey's Probe into Amazon Ring Reveals New Privacy Problems {{!}} U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts|url=https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markeys-probe-into-amazon-ring-reveals-new-privacy-problems|access-date=2023-07-20|website=www.markey.senate.gov|language=en}}</ref> | ||
[[Amazon]] has attempted to distance themselves from Ring Ukraine, the branch responsible for developing computer vision and facial recognition solutions. In a statement for release, the general manager of the Kyiv-based office commented, "We are no longer part of a small startup, but a full-fledged R&D center working for one of the world's largest corporations. [We are involved not only in Ring's product line but also in many other Amazon projects. That is,] We are a large Ukrainian team of specialists working on the world market." At legal's request, the general manager was asked to remove the reference to [[Amazon]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Biddle|first=Sam|date=2020-01-24|title=Ring Ukraine News Suppressed at Amazon's Request, Journalists Say|url=https://theintercept.com/2020/01/24/amazon-ring-ukraine/|access-date=2023-07-20|website=The Intercept|language=en-US}}</ref> "Ring Ukraine" was eventually rebranded as "Squad".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ring Ukraine office need you to forget they are part of Amazon|url=https://ain.capital/2021/01/29/ring-ukraine-changes-its-name-to-squad/|access-date=2023-07-20|website=AIN.Capital|language=en-US}}</ref> | [[Amazon]] has attempted to distance themselves from Ring Ukraine, the branch responsible for developing computer vision and facial recognition solutions. In a statement for release, the general manager of the Kyiv-based office commented, "We are no longer part of a small startup, but a full-fledged R&D center working for one of the world's largest corporations. [We are involved not only in Ring's product line but also in many other Amazon projects. That is,] We are a large Ukrainian team of specialists working on the world market." At legal's request, the general manager was asked to remove the reference to [[Amazon]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Biddle|first=Sam|date=2020-01-24|title=Ring Ukraine News Suppressed at Amazon's Request, Journalists Say|url=https://theintercept.com/2020/01/24/amazon-ring-ukraine/|access-date=2023-07-20|website=The Intercept|language=en-US |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251116003522/https://theintercept.com/2020/01/24/amazon-ring-ukraine/ |archive-date=16 Nov 2025}}</ref> "Ring Ukraine" was eventually rebranded as "Squad".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ring Ukraine office need you to forget they are part of Amazon|url=https://ain.capital/2021/01/29/ring-ukraine-changes-its-name-to-squad/|access-date=2023-07-20|website=AIN.Capital|language=en-US |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240719174131/https://ain.capital/2021/01/29/ring-ukraine-changes-its-name-to-squad/ |archive-date=19 Jul 2024}}</ref> | ||
===Alleged user tracking=== | ===Alleged user tracking=== | ||
''The following section was sourced from [[Wikipedia:Ring_(company)#Allegations_of_user_tracking|Wikipedia]]:'' | ''The following section was sourced from [[Wikipedia:Ring_(company)#Allegations_of_user_tracking|Wikipedia]]:'' | ||
On January 27, 2020, the Electronic Frontier Foundation concluded that the Ring doorbell app for [[Android]] was sending identifiable personal information– including names, IP addresses, mobile network carriers, persistent IDs, and sensor data–to AppsFlyer, branch.io, [[Meta|Facebook]], and Mixpanel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/01/ring-doorbell-app-packed-third-party-trackers|title=Ring Doorbell App Packed with Third-Party Trackers|last=Budington|first=Bill|date=January 27, 2020|website=Electronic Frontier Foundation|language=en|access-date=January 27, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90464883/amazons-ring-will-let-users-opt-out-of-sharing-data-with-other-companies|title=Amazon's Ring will let users opt out of sharing data with other companies|last=Newman|first=Jared|date=February 14, 2020|website=Fast Company|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> | On January 27, 2020, the Electronic Frontier Foundation concluded that the Ring doorbell app for [[Android]] was sending identifiable personal information– including names, IP addresses, mobile network carriers, persistent IDs, and sensor data–to AppsFlyer, branch.io, [[Meta|Facebook]], and Mixpanel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/01/ring-doorbell-app-packed-third-party-trackers|title=Ring Doorbell App Packed with Third-Party Trackers|last=Budington|first=Bill|date=January 27, 2020|website=Electronic Frontier Foundation|language=en|access-date=January 27, 2020 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260120204644/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/01/ring-doorbell-app-packed-third-party-trackers |archive-date=20 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90464883/amazons-ring-will-let-users-opt-out-of-sharing-data-with-other-companies|title=Amazon's Ring will let users opt out of sharing data with other companies|last=Newman|first=Jared|date=February 14, 2020|website=Fast Company|access-date=March 23, 2020 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250405183101/https://www.fastcompany.com/90464883/amazons-ring-will-let-users-opt-out-of-sharing-data-with-other-companies |archive-date=5 Apr 2025}}</ref> | ||
===Flock Safety ''(2025-2026)''=== | ===Flock Safety ''(2025-2026)''=== | ||
{{Main|Proposed Ring-Flock partnership (2025-2026)}} | {{Main|Proposed Ring-Flock partnership (2025-2026)}} | ||
Flock and Ring have had a partnership since October 2025, with Flock stating in a blog post how the integration into Ring "makes it easier for neighbors to support one another while keeping control of their own information" and "helps officers save valuable time that would otherwise be spent knocking on doors".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safety-and-ring-partner-to-help-neighborhoods-work-together-for-safer-communities|title=Flock Safety and Ring Partner to Help Neighborhoods Work Together for Safer Communities|date=2025-10-31|website=Flock Safety}}</ref> Before this announcement, there have been many examples of the state and federal departments (namely DHS) in the United States utilizing the Flock Safety network questionably, despite Amazon stating Ring "does not give ICE videos, feeds, or back-end access".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/news/866003/ring-ice-camera-access-flock|title=Ring says it’s not giving ICE access to its cameras|first=Jennifer|last=Touhy|work=The Verge|date=2026-01-22}}</ref> Laws such as the Third-Party Doctrine imply that information a user voluntarily shares with a third party is not protected by the Fourth Amendment, such as footage uploaded to Amazon's cloud.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-130/if-these-walls-could-talk-the-smart-home-and-the-fourth-amendment-limits-of-the-third-party-doctrine/|title=If These Walls Could Talk: The Smart Home and the Fourth Amendment Limits of the Third Party Doctrine|date=2017-05-09|work=Harvard Law Review|quote=In doing so, it held that there could not have been a reasonable expectation of privacy here due to the voluntary sharing of the information with a third party and the fact that Smith could not have had a reasonable expectation of privacy in something as nominally informative as the numbers he dialed}}</ref> | Flock and Ring have had a partnership since October 2025, with Flock stating in a blog post how the integration into Ring "makes it easier for neighbors to support one another while keeping control of their own information" and "helps officers save valuable time that would otherwise be spent knocking on doors".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safety-and-ring-partner-to-help-neighborhoods-work-together-for-safer-communities|title=Flock Safety and Ring Partner to Help Neighborhoods Work Together for Safer Communities|date=2025-10-31|website=Flock Safety |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260220163143/https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safety-and-ring-partner-to-help-neighborhoods-work-together-for-safer-communities |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref> Before this announcement, there have been many examples of the state and federal departments (namely DHS) in the United States utilizing the Flock Safety network questionably, despite Amazon stating Ring "does not give ICE videos, feeds, or back-end access".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/news/866003/ring-ice-camera-access-flock|title=Ring says it’s not giving ICE access to its cameras|first=Jennifer|last=Touhy|work=The Verge|date=2026-01-22 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260123175555/https://www.theverge.com/news/866003/ring-ice-camera-access-flock |archive-date=23 Jan 2026}}</ref> Laws such as the Third-Party Doctrine imply that information a user voluntarily shares with a third party is not protected by the Fourth Amendment, such as footage uploaded to Amazon's cloud.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-130/if-these-walls-could-talk-the-smart-home-and-the-fourth-amendment-limits-of-the-third-party-doctrine/|title=If These Walls Could Talk: The Smart Home and the Fourth Amendment Limits of the Third Party Doctrine|date=2017-05-09|work=Harvard Law Review|quote=In doing so, it held that there could not have been a reasonable expectation of privacy here due to the voluntary sharing of the information with a third party and the fact that Smith could not have had a reasonable expectation of privacy in something as nominally informative as the numbers he dialed}}</ref> | ||
On February 12, Ring terminated its contract with [[Flock Safety]] over the integration requiring "significantly more time and resources than anticipated".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/ring-and-flock-cancel-partnership/|title=Ring and Flock Cancel Partnership|date=2026-02-12|author=Ring|work=Ring Blog}}</ref> On Flock's part, they state "the integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/an-update-on-ring-partnership|title=Flock and Ring Cancel Announced Community Requests Integration|date=2026-02-12|work=Flock Safety|access-date=2026-02-13}}</ref> | On February 12, Ring terminated its contract with [[Flock Safety]] over the integration requiring "significantly more time and resources than anticipated".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/ring-and-flock-cancel-partnership/|title=Ring and Flock Cancel Partnership|date=2026-02-12|author=Ring|work=Ring Blog |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260218143503/https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/ring-and-flock-cancel-partnership/ |archive-date=18 Feb 2026}}</ref> On Flock's part, they state "the integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/an-update-on-ring-partnership|title=Flock and Ring Cancel Announced Community Requests Integration|date=2026-02-12|work=Flock Safety|access-date=2026-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260220163236/https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/an-update-on-ring-partnership |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
===Search Party ''(2026)''=== | ===Search Party ''(2026)''=== | ||
On February 8, 2026, Ring would air a commercial for their "search party" feature for the Super Bowl. In the ad, the founder Jamie Siminoff states the feature has helped "more than a dog a day has been reunited with their family" out of 10 million a year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.404media.co/with-ring-american-consumers-built-a-surveillance-dragnet/|title=With Ring, American Consumers Built a Surveillance Dragnet|date=2026-02-10|work=404Media|first=Jason|last=Koebler}}</ref> Many Ring owners voiced concerns regarding this new feature, with those stating its dystopian and invasive nature.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1qzrts8/ring_search_party/|title=Ring “Search Party” |work=Reddit|author=u/Check123ok|date=2026-02-08}}</ref> This feature is opt-in by default and can be used alongside a premium "familiar faces" feature.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/02/no-one-including-our-furry-friends-will-be-safer-rings-surveillance-nightmare-0|title=No One, Including Our Furry Friends, Will Be Safer in Ring's Surveillance Nightmare|work=EFF|date=2026-02-10|first=Beryl|last=Lipton}}</ref> On February 18, 2026, emails were leaked showing Siminoff saying how Ring "could have potentially been used to help find Charlie Kirk’s killer" in regards to the community requests feature, in addition to a spokesperson saying "the decision [of sharing] remains firmly in the customer’s hands, not ours".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.404media.co/leaked-email-suggests-ring-plans-to-expand-search-party-surveillance-beyond-dogs/|title=Leaked Email Suggests Ring Plans to Expand ‘Search Party’ Surveillance Beyond Dogs|first=Jason|last=Koebler|work=404Media|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260218144321/https://www.404media.co/leaked-email-suggests-ring-plans-to-expand-search-party-surveillance-beyond-dogs/|archive-date=2026-02-18|url-status=live}}</ref> | On February 8, 2026, Ring would air a commercial for their "search party" feature for the Super Bowl. In the ad, the founder Jamie Siminoff states the feature has helped "more than a dog a day has been reunited with their family" out of 10 million a year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.404media.co/with-ring-american-consumers-built-a-surveillance-dragnet/|title=With Ring, American Consumers Built a Surveillance Dragnet|date=2026-02-10|work=404Media|first=Jason|last=Koebler |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220165139/https://www.404media.co/with-ring-american-consumers-built-a-surveillance-dragnet/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref> Many Ring owners voiced concerns regarding this new feature, with those stating its dystopian and invasive nature.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1qzrts8/ring_search_party/|title=Ring “Search Party” |work=Reddit|author=u/Check123ok|date=2026-02-08}}</ref> This feature is opt-in by default and can be used alongside a premium "familiar faces" feature.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/02/no-one-including-our-furry-friends-will-be-safer-rings-surveillance-nightmare-0|title=No One, Including Our Furry Friends, Will Be Safer in Ring's Surveillance Nightmare|work=EFF|date=2026-02-10|first=Beryl|last=Lipton |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220165255/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/02/no-one-including-our-furry-friends-will-be-safer-rings-surveillance-nightmare-0 |archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref> On February 18, 2026, emails were leaked showing Siminoff saying how Ring "could have potentially been used to help find Charlie Kirk’s killer" in regards to the community requests feature, in addition to a spokesperson saying "the decision [of sharing] remains firmly in the customer’s hands, not ours".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.404media.co/leaked-email-suggests-ring-plans-to-expand-search-party-surveillance-beyond-dogs/|title=Leaked Email Suggests Ring Plans to Expand ‘Search Party’ Surveillance Beyond Dogs|first=Jason|last=Koebler|work=404Media|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260218144321/https://www.404media.co/leaked-email-suggests-ring-plans-to-expand-search-party-surveillance-beyond-dogs/|archive-date=2026-02-18|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||