Ring Ends Controversial 'Request for Assistance' Tool Used by the Police

Police and fire departments will still be able to use the Neighbors network to “share helpful safety tips, updates, and community events” but not to request and receive videos, according to a company statement. The police can request video from people without using the app, for instance by door-to-door canvassing. Additionally, law enforcement can still obtain footage from Ring directly through mechanisms such as search warrants. 

This is the latest move by Ring to address criticism of its law enforcement partnerships. The company had partnered with over 2,500 local law enforcement agencies, over 570 fire departments, and 12 local government agencies when we last tallied them in April 2023.

In 2021, Ring completed a two-year audit of its Neighbors network with the New York University School of Law Policing Project. It made the Request for Assistance tool more transparent by using public posts on the network rather than having Ring privately email camera users on behalf of law enforcement. But those changes didn’t resolve all of the concerns of privacy and civil rights advocates.

In 2022, Ring and other home security camera manufacturers were criticized after sharing video footage with law enforcement without a warrant or user consent by using an exception in the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which allows manufacturers to provide information without delay in instances involving life-threatening emergencies.

For more information on how the police can acquire your camera footage, see our guide to what to do if the police ask for your security camera or doorbell recordings.