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Ring is pushing out an update that lets you opt-out of police video requests through its Neighbors app

Don’t get it twisted, police can still issue a warrant for the footage.

Ring doorbell with police in background
Image: KnowTechie

Amazon’s Ring has been in and out of the spotlight for nearly a year now, but most of it has been negative. Whether it was the surprising news about police interaction or the lack of security, Ring has been through the gauntlet over the last 12 months.

Now, the company is making strides to improve its public perception by changing up how its Neighbors app functions and allowing users to opt-out of police video requests. Why this is even allowed (police monitoring), I’m still unsure, but here we are.

Ring is adding a new way to opt-out of police video requests through its Neighbors app

In an attempt to gain back public trust (and sales), the Neighbors app is getting an update according to a press release. This update is multi-faceted, with the focus being you and your family’s security.

With the Ring update, you’ll be able to check on your two-factor authentication status, remove shared accounts, and remove third-party services from your account. On top of those features, the new Control Center will let you see an “Active Law Enforcement Map” which highlights which areas and police departments are part of the Neighbors Portal. From this section, users will also have the option to opt-out of official requests – something that should have been included from the get-go.

All that being said, if the police want your footage, they can still probably get it. Regardless of the new Ring features, police can issue a warrant for the footage. So while it is nice to see Ring adding the feature, it is as much a PR move as it is a privacy move.

UPDATE 2/6/2020: In the article, we note that Ring has added the opt-out feature for the first time. Technically, this isn’t true. Prior, you would have the option after a police request was sent. Which is dumb and my point about full opt-out capabilities being included from the get-go still stands.

What do you think? Glad to see Ring adding these features in or is it all just for PR? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Former KnowTechie editor.

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