The online retail giant, which also manufactures its own products, has previously said that the files are only handed over to American law enforcement officials if it’s demanded by a court order, or if the owner specifically gives their permission—unless the situation is an “emergency.”
In a statement posted online on Wednesday, Markey claimed that the increasing level of “law enforcement reliance on private surveillance creates a crisis of accountability.”
“As Ring products capture significant amounts of audio on private and public property adjacent to dwellings with Ring doorbells—including recordings of conversations that people reasonably expect to be private—the public’s right to assemble, move, and converse without being tracked is at risk. This sweeping data collection and invasive surveillance is particularly concerning in light of Ring’s ongoing engagement with law enforcement.”
A Ring spokesperson told Newsweek: “It’s simply untrue that Ring gives anyone unfettered access to customer data or video, as we have repeatedly made clear to our customers and others. The law authorizes companies like Ring to provide information to government entities if the company believes that an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to any person, such as a kidnapping or an attempted murder, requires disclosure without delay. Ring faithfully applies that legal standard.”
Newsweek has reached out to Markey.
In May 2021, it emerged that 1 in 10 police forces across the U.S. had signed up to access videos from the Ring cameras of millions of consumers.
But despite the concerns of some, including Markey, others have praised the development as a useful crime-fighting tool which can help the police and make Americans safer.
On Tuesday, Omaha Police Department reportedly revealed it had used Ring doorbell videos in “hundreds” of investigations since 2019. There is no indication that any of those videos were used without the consent of the owners. Captain Steve Cerveny told KETV: “[In] numerous property crimes, we have utilized the Ring portal and video received from it… you’re talking about anything from a destruction of property to auto theft or burglary. It’s routinely used in those investigations and has proved useful recently in identifying suspects. We also use it for violent crimes. It has helped in a homicide investigation.”
But the home security cameras mean that it’s not just police who can do the policing.
A 16-year-old girl was supported online when she claimed her neighbors had sent screengrabs of her, taken from their doorbell cameras, to her mother with the suggestion she shouldn’t have been outside when it was late. She said their actions were “creepy” as she felt spied upon.
While another woman claimed her doorbell camera helped her catch her cheating husband.
However, the doorbell cameras most frequently hit the news when they capture something unexpected or comical. One woman solved the mystery of who had been ringing her doorbell in the middle of the night when her camera revealed it was a cockroach climbing over the bell sensor.
Update 7/14/22 4:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include additional comments by a Ring spokesperson.
