Amazon Ring Neighbors Users Unknowingly Reporting Activity to Police
Amazon Ring's companion app Neighbors is a free neighborhood watch-style platform where users can share public safety concerns. But users may not realize they are also alerting local police when they post, tech publication The Markup found in a recent investigation.
In this post, we examine The Markup's findings, why users were unaware that their posts were being flagged to police, and the implications of officers being sent thousands of these types of notices.
Executive *******
***** ****** ****'* ************ **** ****** have ******* ******** *****-******** ******* — see****’* *** **** ***** ** *** rescue ** * ********** ******— *** *******'* **** ***** ** collaboration **** *** *********** *** **** as * ******** ** ********'* *****.
****** *** ******* **** ******* *** other ******* *** ************* ******** ** the ********* ***. ****** ******** **** more **** *,*** *********** **** **** relationships **** ****** **** *** ******* email ************* ** *****, *** **** can ****** *** ********* ****** ******** to *** ***, **** ** ***** footage.
***** ********* ***** ****** **** *** the *** ** ** ****** ***********,*** *************** ** ********* ***** ** *** Angeles ***** ***** ******** ** ******. Three *********** ******* ** *** *********** and **** **** *** *** **** their ***** *** **** ******* ** police. *** *********** **** ***** **** some ******** ******** ********* ** ******, including *** ******* *** ******** **** than **,*** ****** ** ** ******.
*** ******* **** **** ********* ****** is ***-****, ********* ** *** ******. First, ******** *** ********* **** ****** that **** **** ** ** **** quality-of-life ****** ** ******* ***** **** serious ******. ******, *** ***'* ************ service ****** ***** ********* ******** *** users *** ***** ****** ** ***** neighborhoods.
**********
************** **** ** ****, ****** *** **** ******* ** driving ****** ** *** **** ******** company ** ******* ******** **** *** enforcement *** ** ********* * ******* effect *** *** ********* ***.
******** ***** ***'* **** ** *** Ring ******* ** **** ** *** Neighbors, *********** ******* **** *** ********* increases *** **** ** ******* *** sharing ********** *** ***** *******. *** more ****** ******** ******* ** ********* — *** **** **** ****** ******, particularly — *** **** ******** *** app *** *** ******* *** ** consumers.
**********, ****** **** ******* ********* ** partnership **** ** ***********, ********* ********** D.C., ** ********* ********* ** *** company's ******* *** ******* * ****** base ** ********* *****.**** ***** ** * **** ***************** *** ******** ****** ** ***** Amazon's ******** ** **** *** *** cost *** ******* *** ********* ** least $*.* *******.
*** ******* ********, *** ***** ************* of **** ******** *******, ************ **** police, *** ********* *** ** *** Neighbors *** **** ***** ********* **** civil ********* *************, ********* ********** ************* ******** **********.
**** ****:
- ****** ****** ********* **** ******** ******* To ****** ******* **** ********
- ****** ***** *** ***** ****** **** Address ** **** ****** *********
- *** ***** ****** **** $*.* ******* Over ******** ***** & ***** ******* Customer *******
- ****** **** ****** ******* ******* **** To ******** *********** ********
Investigation ********
***** ********* *** **** ******* ** scrutiny ** *** **** **** ******* information ** ******, *** ****** ******* in *** **** ******** ************* ** far ** ******* **** ***** *** flagged ** *** *********** *** *** the ******* *****.
***** ****** ****** ********, *** ***** organization ******** **** **** ***,*** ****** that **** **** ** ****** ******** via ********* **** **** **, ****, to ****. **, ****. *** ****** closely ******** ******* ** *** ******, including ***** **** ** *** *** Angeles ****** **********.
**** **,*** ********* ***** **** ************* forwarded ** **** ******** ****** **** time, **** *** ******* ********* **** than **,***.
*** ***** ************ ********* * *****-**** series ** *** ******** ** ******* 2023:
- ********** *****: ****** **** ****** *** Be *********** ******** ******
- ******’* ‘************ *****’ ***** ** ******* Police ******** **** ‘****** **********’
- *** ** ******* **** ********—*** **** Ethics
****** ****** ******************* ***** *******, *** ****** ** dedicated ** ************* ********** *** *** effect ** *******.
"Crime" **. "******"
** **** ** ********* ********* *** Neighbors ***** ** **** ***** ** posts *** ******* ** ******. ***** the *** **** ******** *** *********** of *** *********** ******** **** *** accessing ***** ****** *****, ** **** not ******* ***** **** ********** ** posts ******** *** ******** ******** *****.
***** ************** ******* **** *** *** LAPD ******** ** *** ****** ********* that **** ***** ********** ** "*****" would ** ******* ** ****** ********. Here ** ** ******* ** ** email ******** ** *** ******.
*******, ***** **** **** *** ****** of ******* ***** ***** "******," "*******" for **** **** ** ********* *******, "environment" *** ****** **** ** ******** or *****, "*********," ** "* ***'* know."
********* ***** ********* ** *** **** included **** "*****" ***** *** "******" posts, *** ****** *****. *** ** the *** ******* *** ***** *********** by *** ****** **** ** *** "not ****" **** *** ****** ******** his ****** ******* *** *********. *** users **** *******, ******, **** ****** they **** ******* *** ***** **** sent.
"Quality ** ****" **********
****** ************* ** *** ******* **** to ********* **** ***** **** ****** neighborhoods, *** ****** *****. ********, **** trend *** ****** **** ******** *********** owning **** **** *******.
*** ***** ********* ** ***** ****** from ******* ***** *** ******* ******** efforts, ****** **** **** ****** ***** and "******* ** ****" **********, **** loitering, *** **** **** ******* ****** like ****** ** *******, ******* **** The ******. ********* ** *** ***********:
******* ********* *********’ ************ ****** ** *** ******** **** ***** ********** ** “*****” were ******** ** ** ********* ** officers, ***** ****contain ** ******** ******** ********* **** ** ********’ *******. When The Markup reviewed 1,000 ******** ******** ****** forwarded to LAPD staffers, we found that roughly ***-***** ** **em described non-criminal behavior that had been deemed suspicious by users—like walking by cars to check doors or a stranger ringing someone’s doorbell. [Emphasis Added.]
Racial ********* ********
****** ***** ******** ****** *********** ***** issues ** ******* ************* **** ****** the ******** ** ****** ********* ** harassment ** ******** *********** ** ****** or ****** ******, *** ****** *****. For ********, *** ********* **** ** LA ********** ***** * "**** ******** in *** **'* **** * ******** bag ******* *** ** *** ********."
****-******** ** ****** ********** *** **** serious ******** ******** ************. ***** *** Hispanic *********** *** **** **** ****** to ** **** *** ****** ** encounters **** ****** **** ***** ******, compared **** ***** ************** ** *** population,********* ** *** ********** ****.
* **** ************** **** *** ****** that *** ******* "**** *** ******** racial ********* *** ******* *******" ** Neighbors. *** *** ******* ***** ** post "***** ** ******* ****’** ******** or ********, ****** **** ***** **** deemed **********." ** **** ************ **** "concerns ***** ** ********** *** ** influenced ** ******** **** *** *********—**** if *************."
*** *** ****** *****: "** ** unclear *** **** ** ** ****** Ring *** **** ** ****** **** people ****** ***** **********."