Ring doorbell cuts police access feature, stirring privacy debate

NEW YORK - Amazon-owned Ring will no longer allow police to request footage from users, marking an end to a feature that has drawn criticism from privacy advocates.

For years, residents have relied on extra eyes on their homes thanks to Ring doorbell cameras that seem to capture it all. From porch pirates, vandals in action, or arrests near a neighbor’s front door.

The announcement has garnered mixed reviews.

"It should be their choice, right? It's their camera they bought it. I mean they're not working for the police department right," said one customer.

"Police should have access. If somebody kill someone, how are you going to get consent from the person," another argued.

Ring's request for assistance tool in its Neighbor app that made it easier for law enforcement to request video footage from users is now a thing of the past.

"This is a pitfall in the wake of an investigation," said Dr. Darrin Porcher, a retired NYPD Lieutenant.

In 2022, doorbell camera footage helped detectives crack a high-profile murder case in Forest Hills, Queens, when it captured a man dragging a large bag after brutally stabbing a mom.

Because of that footage the man was arrested, charged, and sentenced.

"The ring doorbell camera was in essence something that was a gem for law enforcement, but now law enforcement is going to have to require a warrant or gain consent from the owner of that ring doorbell camera in particular," Porcher explained.

In most cases, consent isn’t hard to come by, but there are some outliers.

"If perpetrator actually owns that doorbell camera, of course they’re not going to give you consent," he continued.

 Now, detectives must secure a search warrant in order to access the footage.

For Dr. Matthew Guariglia of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the move marks a win for privacy.

Guariglia believes the change is the result of a years-old push by racial justice organizations and privacy advocates urging tech companies to limit breaches of privacy and regain the trust of their customers.

"Part of that is re-ensuring them that only you have access to your footage and that police don’t have special tools especially made for them to request your footage through the app," he said.

Ring nor Amazon, its parent company, have shared what prompted the move but announced the measure would immediately take effect.