S.T.O.P. Welcomes Amazon Moratorium On Police Access To Ring Videos

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Welcomes Amazon Moratorium On Police Access To Ring Videos (New York, NY 1/25/24) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, welcomes Amazon Ring’s moratorium on access to Ring videos, blocking law enforcement from requesting doorbell footage through its Neighbors app. Police are now only able to access Ring video footage through a warrant or subpoena. The civil rights group applauded the decision as a victory for civil liberties, but renewed its call on Amazon to halt sale of Ring doorbells given evidence suggesting that the systems are ineffective and fuel racist vigilantism. SEE: CNBC - Amazon’s Ring will stop allowing police to request doorbell video footage from users https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/24/amazons-ring-will-stop-letting-police-request-doorbell-video-footage.html Report – The Spy Next Door: The Danger of Neighborhood Surveillance Apps https://www.stopspying.org/thespynextdoor “It’s appalling that Amazon allowed these abuses for so long, but we’re glad the feature is removed,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn.  “But homeowners need to know that every Ring camera they have is still just one court order away from being used as a policing tool. Police have even compelled homeowners to turn over footage from within their own homes. While the evidence is unclear on whether Ring is effective, it’s quite clear that these systems pose a potent privacy risk.” In 2022, S.T.O.P. condemned the NYPD’s announcement that it would join Amazon Ring’s Neighbors App, warning that such a public-private surveillance partnership would promote vigilantism, racial profiling, and police violence. That same year, the civil rights group demanded Amazon halt the sale of Ring surveillance doorbells after a man and his teenage son in Florida allegedly shot at a woman in her car seven times after receiving a Ring alert when she dropped off a package sent to the wrong address. SEE: NYPD - The NYPD Announces it will Join Ring Neighbors https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/p00065/the-nypd-it-will-join-ring-neighbors Press Release - S.T.O.P. Demands Amazon Halt Sale Of Ring Doorbells https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2022/10/25/stop-demands-amazon-halt-sale-of-ring-doorbells The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. --END-- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.