As video doorbells and home security cameras grow in popularity, and police departments are increasingly asking for access to those videos from homeowners and businesses, the News4JAX I-TEAM is working on a series of stories addressing the programs that are being launched and concerns about privacy.
No matter the reason you have personal security cameras in place -- whether you’re looking for porch pirates, car thieves, or wild animals -- there are different ways law enforcement can access your videos.
Consumer Reports weighs in on your video and your rights
There are a number of options for personal security cameras, and the Amazon-owned Ring is a popular one.
“The Ring app has a neighborhood watch-style social network called ‘Neighbors.’ Law enforcement uses that network in order to request videos from users,” explained Consumer Reports Expert Dan Wroclawski. Ring now has more than 2,500 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? Wroclawski 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 states 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 police 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,” said Wroclawski.
- Police can get your video through a search warrant or subpoena.
- Police can cite a federal law that allows manufacturers to share footage in a potentially life-threatening emergency.
Wroclawski adds, if the footage is stored locally on your camera, police may have to come to you directly to request it or serve a warrant.
CONSUMER REPORTS: Rings’ Control Center
If you have a Ring camera, Consumer Reports says 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 toggle off “Request for Assistance Email Notifications.”
The I-TEAM’s “Connected” series continues on News4JAX
Both sheriff’s offices in Duval and St. Johns Counties have launched programs where homeowners and businesses can register their surveillance cameras with law enforcement. But what does that mean and how are privacy concerns being addressed?
- I-TEAM investigator Anne Maxwell sat down with St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick to learn more about “Connect St. Johns.” She discussed constitutional concerns with attorney and former federal prosecutor Curtis Fallgatter and privacy concerns with an expert with the New York-based non-profit “Surveillance Technology Oversight Project.”
- THURSDAY AT 6 PM: I-TEAM investigator Vic Micolucci talks with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office about its similar program called “Connect Duval,” which was announced last week by Sheriff T.K. Waters.
HOW TO INSTALL A VIDEO DOORBELL: Watch Consumer Reports’ step-by-step guide below