Yeah, I'm ok with not having a Ring doorbell anymore. So much for privacy.
Interesting. The good thing is that there a number of fully local alternatives that can be used for recording and object detection. I haven't tried Camect, but have tried Scrypted and Frigate.
I've really been happy with Camect. A really super good AI identification system. Integrates with Hubitat and works with most cameras. Fully local. My doorbell is a Reolink POE. Video straight to camect.
Sometimes it's nice to not know who is at your door... ![]()

Thanks for proving my point... Using another person's camera....
And the obvious plug for Unifi Protect and Ai Key.
Gross.
Devil's advocate here. Doesn't this still require the user to accept the request, and this is about how that data is then shared grossly with others?
"Taken together, the two partnerships point to Amazon's Ring division not only reintroducing tools for police to request images or video from Ring customers without a warrant but also to a closer alignment with companies that have ties to police departments, ICE, the Secret Service and branches of the military."
The only difference is now they're actually telling us, just like Orwell mentioned...
Don’t forget that a few years ago, Ring’s default settings made it possible for their employees to view and download whatever camera footage they wanted from unsuspecting users’ accounts.
And some of them did just that.
I use a Google doorbell but am perfectly happy to assist the Police, DHS, ICE, FBI and anybody else looking to keep this country safe and secure. That includes using my camera footage anyway they like.
The only way to have privacy these days is to disconnect the internet, lock your phone in a metal draw and don't leave the house! Camera's are everywhere and anything connected to the internet - anything! - can be hacked/traced/etc. Oh and forget about using a credit card anywhere. Privacy is just an elusion from a time in the past.
Not trying to start any kind of political or conspiracy theory type of stuff but for anyone that thinks everything we do isn't in someone's database... Good luck with that! ![]()
For me it all comes down to the old saying, 'Don't break the law and you have nothing to worry about'. Pretty simple really.
The issue is more of, if someone wants footage, ask. Warrant-less access without notification is not good for us at all. I'm an ex-cop from Jersey. I get it. (More money in network engineering lol). If law enforcement knocks on my door, I don't have a problem generally giving them assistance. You go into my accounts without my knowledge or permission. Yeah I got a problem.
All the surveillance is real and relies on non-bad people using it. Flock users - not the sharpest knives.
Your point may have been over simplified and you probably left out some nuances.
I imagine while you believe in laws and law enforcement you also believe those in law enforcement can and do break the law. You probably also believe that it's possible for governments to take your rights or abuse your rights at some point in the future. At least that it's possible. It would be hard for me to believe you blindly trust all government. But I'm wrong a lot.
I have installed many video doorbells, and I NEVER recommend Ring.
Yet, I personally have a Ring on my front door.
Why?
Because my wife insisted that she wanted to see (on her Alexa), who was at the front door before opening it. (I have tried many alternatives with many approaches to getting the video on the Alexa. The fact remains that Amazon specifically prioritized Ring for display on Alexa.)
The primary reason that I do not recommend Ring is because I believe in the worth of a RTSP stream that can be stored locally (without any cost).
That means that beside the door in my house, I have a Eufy camera whose RTSP stream is stored on my NAS.
So for context I come from a military family, deep deep roots and have always backed and continue to back law enforcement.
The issue here, is we now have clear evidence current government branches are going after people even if they pose no threat, even if they are legal.
I wish it were that easy. As a military rat, I and my family are now worried we will be profiled just because we speak multiple languages and use them often. There has been ample evidence of current federal employees profiling and arresting people just based on that, even when they are full us citizens, including veterans.
So I understand the concern here.... which is safety and "what makes us more or less safe". We are not more safe if access to these cameras are misused. We are if if they are used properly.
Hence my question of if Ring can share these or not without user consent. As I personally very much value our Constitution, separation of power and no-one being above the law, as that is what my family has fought for dating back to the civil war.
My full first name is Enrique, and my youngest is named Javier. It's only a matter of time we run into an issue.
I'll add that in regard to Camect, I had not heard of them before seeing this thread. I read their privacy policy and it didn't fill me full of confidence.
The nice thing is that it's totally local. So if you want to isolate it so you don't need the cloud app, and simply use VPN from your phone or pc it supports it.