When you were a kid/young teenager did you and your friends ever find yourself bored and think “hey, why don’t we go ding dong ditch some neighbors?” In some ways, life was much more simple back then, but now things have changed. The kids can no longer ding dong ditch thanks to Ring, the digital doorbell. These doorbells offer a camera option that records when someone rings the doorbell, or even when there is movement detected in its vicinity. The digitization of doorbells allows users to know who is at their door before opening it, speak through the doorbell, and know who is coming onto their porch and/or near their front door (if that is where you have placed the doorbell). With this digitization, a common question lingers: what does this mean for my privacy?
There are numerous brands who have digital doorbells, but today we are going to focus on Ring, the most popular digital doorbell on the market. Here is how this doorbell works:
- It begins recording when:
- The motion sensors are activated (the default range for this is within 15-25 feet of the camera, or closer)
- The doorbell is pressed
- Users manually start recording
- These recordings are stored in Amazon's cloud servers (AWS), or you can set up certain Ring models to store recordings in an SD card instead of (or in addition to) the cloud.
- These recordings are accessible in the Ring app and the web portal by default for 180 days.
- It stops recording when:
- The motion stops
- The clip length reaches its end (default is 30 seconds, but can be changed to up to 2 minutes)
- The user stops the live view
- The Ring doorbell loses Wi-Fi the battery dies
- It can be configured to record motion in specific areas and/or be set to record only people instead of cars or trees.
Ring doorbells introduce a layer of added security to users, allowing them to know who is approaching their space and what they are saying (audio is captured in the recordings), who is driving by the user’s home, if someone is stealing their packages, or if there are animals in their space (sometimes a curious bear or elk). While there are clear advantages to having a Ring doorbell, there are also some disadvantages:
- Since Ring captures recordings once its motion sensor is activated, it may be capturing your neighbors, delivery workers, or people simply passing by. These people may not consent to being recorded, but the Ring doorbell doesn’t know that (and you probably don’t either).
- With these recordings, audio is captured and can be captured up to 20 feet away. This raises concerns about wiretapping laws.
- The federal law requires consent from only one party to record conversations when there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.
- Various state laws require consent from both parties (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania). If your doorbell is recording someone's conversation and they don’t consent to it, you could be in violation of these laws.
- Amazon collects video, audio, geolocation, and device usage data. This information is used for analytics, product improvements, and potentially advertising. Ring's privacy policy and terms of service list 14 ways this data is used.
- Hackers! They are everywhere! Without adequate protections, such as multi-factor authentication, hackers can gain access to your Ring camera and access live feeds and/or recordings.
Ring doorbells have changed the way we think about safety at our doorstep, but that convenience comes with various trade-offs. They can deter crime and offer peace of mind, yet they also raise questions about privacy, surveillance, and data use. As these devices become more common, it’s important for users to understand not only the benefits but also the legal and ethical implications of having a digital eye, and ear, right at your doorstep.