NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — If you don't have one, chances are your neighbors do. We're talking about doorbell and other types of home security cameras. But just who can access the video?
Yes, all around my house and you know, as more and more people are getting video doorbells and home security cameras, police departments are increasingly asking for homeowners’ videos to help them solve crimes.
But can they get that video without your permission? Well, it turns out, there are several ways law enforcement can access your videos.
Whether you’re on the lookout for porch pirates, wild animals, or car thieves -- a video doorbell or security camera can come in handy.
Law enforcement agencies are taking notice.
“The Ring app has a neighborhood watch-style social network called “Neighbors.” Law enforcement uses that network in order to request videos from users,” Consumer Reports Dan Wroclawski said.
Ring now has more than 2500 partnerships with local law enforcement agencies. But the program has come under fire by some social justice and digital rights groups who feel it unfairly targets communities of color.
So, if the police ask for your video, do you have to give it to them? Consumer Reports says, legally, no.
“If police ask for your footage, you can choose to share it with them or you can simply ignore the request,” Wroclawski said.
If you don’t share the video, Ring says it won’t give law enforcement access to your cameras, your videos, or any of your personal information.
And police never have access to a live feed of your Ring cameras, but they can still get the video without your consent.
“If your footage is stored in the cloud on manufacturers’ servers, police can get it in two ways," he explained.
First, through a search warrant or a subpoena. Or they can cite a federal law that allows manufacturers to share footage in a potentially life-threatening emergency.
If the footage is stored locally on your camera, police may have to come to you directly to request it or serve a warrant.
If you have a Ring camera, you can opt out of receiving requests for your footage from law enforcement. In the Ring app’s control center settings, scroll down to public safety and turn off the option that says Request for Assistance Email Notifications.
