Amazon’s home security division Ring is reportedly coaching police on how to get people to hand over their surveillance footage without a warrant, according to Motherboard.
Over the past month, multiple reports have emerged about the partnerships between police departments across the US and the Amazon security company, which produces a range of app-controlled home security cameras. Over 200 police departments have reportedly partnered with the company, after which they are able to request footage via an interactive map in the “Law Enforcement Neighborhood Portal.” Although it is entirely up to users whether they choose to share their security camera footage with law enforcement, the newly uncovered emails suggest that Ring knows how to persuade people to offer up this footage, and is prepared to share its knowledge as part of its partnerships with police departments.
Ring’s “Law Enforcement Neighborhood Portal” shows police where Ring cameras are located on a map and makes it easy for them to request access to footage from individual Ring units without a warrant. Although the owners of the units are not legally obliged to hand over the footage, they may not feel comfortable turning down a request from law enforcement.
The emails obtained by Motherboard show Ring coaches the police on the best way to obtain footage, and provides tools like templates police can use when interacting with Ring owners and requesting footage. Ring also encourages police to post on its neighborhood watch app, Neighbors, saying such posting is “critical in increasing the opt-in rate” of people willing to share their recordings.
In response to the report, a representative from Ring told Motherboard, “Ring offers Neighbors app training and best practices for posting and engaging with app users for all law enforcement agencies utilizing the portal tool… Ring requests to look at press releases and any messaging prior to distribution to ensure our company and our products and services are accurately represented.”
