Security News > 2022 > July > Amazon gave Ring video to cops without consent or warrant 11 times so far in 2022
Amazon-owned home security company Ring turned over footage to US law enforcement without permission from the devices' owners 11 times so far in 2022, according to details unveiled by Massachusetts senator Ed Markey.
Despite Amazon policy that police cannot view recordings without owners' explicit permission, that policy does not apply to subpoenas and emergency requests - which is exactly what Amazon said happened in these 11 cases, although it seems the judge of what constitutes emergency request is left up to Ring itself.
"In each instance, Ring made a good-faith determination that there was an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to a person requiring disclosure of information without delay," Amazon's vice president of public policy Brian Huseman told Markey in a written response [PDF] to a list of surveillance-practice related questions posed in June.
For those who voluntarily share content with law enforcement, Amazon offers Ring users access to a platform called Neighbors Public Safety Service, which allows participating police departments to request footage.
"As my ongoing investigation into Amazon illustrates, it has become increasingly difficult for the public to move, assemble, and converse in public without being tracked and recorded," said Senator Markey, who warned [PDF] there was a potential for Ring devices to facilitate blackmail, stalking and other damaging practices.
"Recent research indicates that in addition to capturing troves of video recordings, Ring products also surveil the public by capturing vast amounts of audio recordings," said Markey in a letter [PDF] to Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy, who in turn noted that Ring did not currently offer voice recognition.