Response from Ring
We appreciate the opportunity to engage further on these issues and provide clarity on how the Neighbors app works with local police. The letter referenced is based on a misinformed and incorrect understanding of Ring products and services. Ring's mission is to help make neighborhoods safer.. User privacy is our priority... a few of the safeguards we've implemented:
- No access to devices. Local police are never given access to users’ cameras or devices through the Neighbors Portal or otherwise by Ring.
- No direct access to users when local police ask residents for videos...
- No user account information. Users are identified in Neighbors app posts/comments only as “Neighbor #”. Local police know only that the users reside within their jurisdiction, and they cannot see or access user account information without any particular user’s express consent.
- No device location. The Neighbors Portal does not provide local police with the addresses at which any devices are located without a user’s express consent.
... All content submitted to our app is reviewed to ensure that it adheres to our community guidelines, including our policies against racial profiling and prohibiting hate speech or other forms of prejudice before it goes live on the app... You can also learn more about the Neighbors app here.