All These Ring Cameras Are Creating a "Surveillance Nightmare," Critics Say

"What if the biggest threat to your safety and privacy isn't a person, but a device millions of Americans have installed in their homes willingly? That's the contention of tech critics at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who say Amazon's Ring doorbell devices constitute a "surveillance nightmare" - what they're calling the largest civilian surveillance panopticon in the history of the United States. The pitch is that Ring doorbells help homeowners watch out for porch pirates and incoming trick-or-treaters."

"And sure, you could argue, that wouldn't be an issue if you simply use the company's devices on your porch. Not even that's a safe bet, however. Back in 2022, Consumer Reports found that Ring doorbells could record ambient audio from 20 feet away - allowing them to listen in on pedestrians, neighbors, and in some cases, even in on homeowners who keep their doors or windows open."

"All of this feeds into what the EFF calls the "digital porch-to-police pipeline," where tech enables paranoid homeowners to make snap judgements about who does or doesn't belong in their neighborhood and easily dispatch police to confront them. Indeed, since at least 2016, Ring has made it a point to loop law enforcement agencies like the Los Angeles Police Department into its business through free giveaways and warrantless access to user footage."

Amazon Ring doorbells have proliferated in American homes and collect extensive audio and video data. The Electronic Frontier Foundation labels the network a civilian surveillance panopticon that poses significant privacy risks. Ring faced Federal Trade Commission action for illegally collecting and storing audio and video between 2017 and 2020, and investigations found employees had broad access to user footage, including in-home cameras. Consumer Reports found Ring units can record ambient audio from about 20 feet away, capturing neighbors and passersby. Partnerships and giveaways to law enforcement create a direct porch-to-police channel that escalates surveillance and unevenly impacts vulnerable populations.

Read at Futurism