We love what Ring doorbells have brought to us: videos of delivery drivers who don't give a f**k, wild animals lurking about, creepy clowns just being creepy, and so much more. Ring also lets you share video with your neighbors and send it directly to the police, and that's a problem, according to WIRED.
Adrienne So reports that Ring cameras are "affordable and ubiquitous, but homeowners shouldn’t be able to act as vigilantes."
… it also allows Ring owners to send videos they've captured with their Ring video doorbell cameras and outdoor security cameras to law enforcement. This is a feature unique to Ring—even Nextdoor removed its Forward to Police feature in 2020, which allowed Nextdoor users to forward their own safety posts to local law enforcement agencies. If a crime has been committed, law enforcement should obtain a warrant to access civilian video footage.
Multiple members of WIRED's Gear team have spoken to Ring over the years about this feature. The company has been clear it's what customers want, even though there’s no evidence that more video surveillance footage keeps communities safer. Instead, Neighbors increases the possibility of racial profiling. It makes it easier for both private citizens and law enforcement agencies to target certain groups for suspicion of crime based on skin color, ethnicity, religion, or country of origin.
That's weak.
WIRED: Ring Cameras make it easy to voluntarily report crimes and record video to send to police, so we don’t recommend it bc that might lead to racial profiling.
— (((tedfrank))) (@tedfrank) July 10, 2023
Unreal. (Wired praises Nextdoor, which removed a similar feature in, you guessed it, 2020.) https://t.co/ZqhdmZPjR9
When D.C. residents complain about crime levels to the city/the police department, "take advantage of the city's camera rebate program" is one of their only answers.
— Patrick Brennan (@ptbrennan11) July 10, 2023
Since we don’t get to choose the color of the criminal that breaks into our home, I don’t understand the racial profiling aspect….
— Blondie… The Vanilla Villain (@Calamityjane77) July 10, 2023
You'll be shocked to learn the writer/editor lives in... Portland.
— Jason Epstein (@Southfive) July 10, 2023
This was a video from my daughters backyard. He ran in our yard, he had a gun. We showed the video to the police. They caught him a time later, were the police racial profiling 🤪. I don’t get it. pic.twitter.com/DGDSXj9wXD
— Lady (@lovingit111) July 10, 2023
I didn’t know Ring Doorcams could determine religion and country of origin. Figures the editor went to UVA and lives in Portland.
— bones STSCS(SS) (@Pete70007862) July 10, 2023
My 9mm doesn't care what color the person who is breaking into my house is.
— AstroCat 9000 🏴 (@AstroCat9000) July 10, 2023
Many police departments have subscriptions to Ring and routinely access videos of the citizens and preemptively contact you when they notice crimes or unusual activities. Can't believe Wired doesn't know this, my former Police department contacted me a few times.
— golphinphool (@golphinphool) July 10, 2023
Like the BART not releasing video of crime on the train... as people would then get the impression that the people committing crime on the train might commit crime on the train.https://t.co/6FpAr4vY5W
— Clyde Parker (@ColJSMosby) July 10, 2023
The dumbest people who ever lived are woke people.
— FrowningGuy (@sarileyman) July 10, 2023
Ring cameras are ubiquitous, but the most secure building in America doesn't have a camera that can pick up someone leaving a bag of cocaine 1) in the library, 2) in a visitor's cubby, 3) or in a more secure location near where Kamala Harris parks her car.
***
Join the conversation as a VIP Member