Ring is almost done playing Robin to Law Enforcement Batman.
For every funny Ring Video Doorbell video that shows a bear dancing in the snow or a mailman twirling to the tune of the Broadway show in his head, there are videos of people stealing packages, vandalizing houses, or committing other petty crimes. The video collected by these popular front door cameras has been a potential crime-fighting bonanza for local authorities.
After launching in 2013, Ring (an Amazon company) added the free Neighbors app in 2017 as a place where Ring customers in a community could share details about local crimes (such as people stealing packages from their front doors). ). The platform also allowed local authorities to post utility updates and communicate directly with Ring owners to request videos of illegal activities occurring outside their homes. While it's a potentially powerful crime deterrent, it was also seen as a potential privacy issue and civil rights violation, and Ring's track record for sharing customer videos with authorities without asking permission wasn't exactly spotless.
Now, after the 2021 update forced local authorities to post all video calls in a public part of the Neighbors app under “Request for Assistance,” Ring has also decided to disable that feature.
Neighbors become even friendlier
In other words, there should be no more posts from law enforcement within the Neighbors app describing a crime in your local Ring coverage area and then requesting videos related to the incident. Ring customers can still, obviously, freely share videos with law enforcement and authorities if they choose.
In a statement about the update, Ring Neighbors head Eric Kuhn notes that “fire and police departments can still use the Neighbors app to share helpful safety tips, updates, and community events.” The platform will no longer be a place to request and exchange videos with authorities.
Ring also seems to be pushing Neighbors further (or perhaps away from) its community safety roots and more toward those viral videos we share on TikTok. It's adding a new Neighbors section called “Ring Moments,” which is decidedly not about sharing videos about crime and safety, and “Best of Ring,” which will include videos curated by Ring.
Ring's Neighbors will remain, according to the company, a place to share important information about safety-related events happening in your community, including floods, major storms and fires, but it is no longer a major source of crime-fighting information. for law enforcement.
