Amazon's ring to halt police requests for doorbell video footage via neighborhood watch app

TOMS RIVER, NJ – Amazon’s home security company, Ring, has announced significant changes to its policies regarding law enforcement’s access to user footage. In a recent blog post, Eric Kuhn, the head of Ring’s Neighbors app, revealed plans to discontinue the “Request for Assistance” (RFA) tool. This tool previously allowed law enforcement agencies to submit public requests for users’ doorbell video footage within their communities.

The Ring app has been useful in helping police solve crimes especially in New Jersey where footage is often shared along with press releases to the public and media.

Effective this week, public safety agencies, including fire and police departments, will no longer be able to utilize the RFA tool to request and receive video footage directly through the Neighbors app. However, they will still be able to share safety tips, updates, and community event information on the platform.

The decision marks a shift from Ring’s 2021 policy, which made police requests for user footage public in the Neighbors app. Before this transparency move, law enforcement could directly message users to request clips from their smart doorbell cameras.

Notably, police departments can still access Ring video footage through traditional legal channels, such as obtaining a search warrant or subpoena. In extraordinary circumstances involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, Ring may provide footage directly to law enforcement. This policy was clarified in response to a 2022 inquiry from Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) about Ring’s partnerships with police.

Amazon acquired Ring in 2015 for approximately $1 billion. Best known for its connected doorbell devices, which record activity outside users’ homes, Ring has since expanded its product range to include various home security solutions, such as camera-equipped floodlights and even flying security camera drones. This policy change reflects the ongoing debate around privacy, technology, and law enforcement access to digital data.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.