Ring Video Doorbell
Summary
The Ring Video Doorbell is an HD-video capturing, motion detecting, two-way talking doorbell that allows you to communicate with people at your front door from your phone, table, or PC. The doorbell can be purchased for $99 to $499 depending on the model.
Breach History
Has there ever been a breach or data leak?
Date of last breach
February 2020
A large database containing millions of European customer records was found unsecured on Amazon Web Services on February 3, 2020. Information from several companies was found on this database, such as Amazon, eBay, Shopify, PayPal, and Stripe. Leaked personal information could include name, shipping address, email, phone number, items purchased, payment history, and partially redacted credit cards.
Privacy Checklist
Is any kind of biometric data collected (health, heart, voice, etc.)?
Are you able to delete your data / the data collected about you?
Does it use cookies, telemetry, or third-party tracking scripts?
Is the privacy policy user-friendly (easy to understand)?
Does it have parental controls?
Does it use encryption to protect your data both in-transit and at-rest?
Does it get regular software and / or firmware updates?
Does it require you to create a strong password?
Is there a system in place for managing security vulnerabilities?
Does it have a privacy policy?
How Can It Snoop?
Does it have a camera or request / require access to a camera?
Does it have a microphone or request / require access to a microphone?
Does it track your location or request / require access to location data?
Account Requirements
Does it require an email address to use?
Does it require a phone number to use?
Does it require an address (home or office) to use?
Payment Options
Are you able to use a credit card as a payment option?
Are you able to use a cryptocurrency as a payment option?
Are you able to use PayPal as a payment option?
Are you able to use cash or gift cards as a payment option?
What Could Go Wrong?
Amazon has been caught storing customer data unencrypted on a cloud server, which means that employees could access any of this data, including video recordings. Their partnership with local law enforcement also raises questions about privacy and civil rights, and it is possible these cameras are being use to create a facial recognition database. Be warned of these risks before purchasing this product.
How Does It Share Your Data?
Ring collaborates with police departments across the United States to promote the use of neighborhood surveillance and security cameras. Law enforcement has access to the approximate locations of these cameras and can request access to footage with owner consent. Police can also keep any footage downloaded from these cameras as long as they want and share with anyone.
Good Things
- Affordable.
- Good video quality.
- Works with Amazon Alexa.
Bad Things
- Serious privacy concerns.
- Subscription required to view recorded video.
- No Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant support.
Final Thoughts
Amazon notoriously collects a large amount of data on its users and uses it to target them with interest-based ads. Amazon was also included in a data breach that exposed information from several million European Amazon accounts. As a result, personal information seems to be at serious risk when usign Amazon products.