Amazon Ring stops letting police request footage in Neighbors app after outcry
by Ashley Belanger from Ars Technica - All content on (#6J3XF)
Enlarge (credit: Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images North America)
Amazon Ring has shut down a controversial feature in its community safety app Neighbors that has allowed police to contact homeowners and request doorbell and surveillance camera footage without a warrant for years.
In a blog, head of the Neighbors app Eric Kuhn confirmed that "public safety agencies like fire and police departments can still use the Neighbors app to share helpful safety tips, updates, and community events," but the Request for Assistance (RFA) tool will be disabled.
"They will no longer be able to use the RFA tool to request and receive video in the app," Kuhn wrote.