Ring changes how police can access your door camera video
The short version: WCVB reports Ring is ending police requests for doorbell footage, but warrants and subpoenas — plus non-consensual networks like Flock — still fill the gap.
Our Take
Credit to WCVB Channel 5 Boston for flagging this shift: Ring is stepping back from letting police departments post public requests for your doorbell footage. That's a real win for the idea that YOUR camera shouldn't double as a standing tip line for local law enforcement without you saying yes.
But don't let the headline lull you. Police can still get Ring footage the old-fashioned way — a warrant or subpoena — and Amazon has been cozy with law enforcement for years. More importantly, this whole debate assumes there's a human being deciding whether to share. Flock Safety's ALPR cameras skip that step entirely. They're bolted to poles on public roads, scanning every plate that passes, no owner consent required, no request to approve or deny. That's a fundamentally different — and in our view more dangerous — model of surveillance.
So while Ring users get a bit more say over their own hardware, the automated license plate reader network keeps expanding with none of that friction. Check our camera map to see what's tracking your street, and hit take action if you want to push back on your city council before the next Flock contract gets renewed.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of WCVB Channel 5 Boston, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.