Ring, the popular home security system, says it will no longer allow law enforcement agencies special access to request doorbell footage from its users, the company announced last week.
This does not guarantee protection from all forms of police surveillance tied to footage from companies like Ring.
Rochester-area police departments claim they rarely used the tool. So they say the change will have little impact. They said it has been more successful to collect home security footage by going door-to-door during investigations.
Previously, police agencies could use Ring’s Neighbors app to select a radius of homes nearby a suspected crime scene and send them an alert requesting footage. Privacy watchdogs raised concerns that the feature could change neighborhoods into a place of constant surveillance and lead to more instances of racial profiling.
Which Rochester-area police departments used Ring footage?
Five police agencies in Monroe County used the tool at one time or another, according to data from Atlas of Surveillance. Those agencies include: