Amazon's Ring will stop allowing police to request doorbell video footage
The short version: Ring killed the police-request tool in its Neighbors app, but that's just one doorbell-camera pipeline closing while networks like Flock's ALPRs keep expanding with far less scrutiny.
Our Take
Credit to SAD CAT SAD STORIES for flagging this one: Amazon's decision to stop letting police request Ring footage through the Neighbors app is a real, if narrow, win for privacy. That feature turned millions of private doorbells into an informal, opt-in surveillance network that cops could tap without a warrant, just by asking nicely. Killing it removes one easy on-ramp for warrantless footage requests.
But let's not get distracted by a single corporate policy change. Ring's move doesn't touch the automated license plate reader networks quietly blanketing entire towns. Flock Safety cameras don't ask permission and don't need a homeowner to say yes — they just log every plate that passes, building a permanent record of where you drive, when, and how often, shared across agencies with far less public debate than Ring ever got.
If a doorbell camera policy tweak makes headlines, the thousands of ALPR cameras running 24/7 in your own neighborhood deserve at least that much attention. Check our map to see what's already watching your street, and hit up take action if you want to push back on the surveillance that never asks for consent in the first place.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of SAD CAT SAD STORIES, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.