Ring (Amazon): Surveillance Profile

Minimizing Ring's surveillance capabilities while still using the device requires significant configuration changes, though the most effective approach is replacement. In the Ring app, go to Control Center > Video Management and disable 'Shared Video Access' by Amazon. Under 'Community Alerts,' disable the Neighbors feature entirely to prevent your footage from entering the community surveillance network. Review 'Linked Accounts' and disconnect from Alexa and any third-party services. Go to Account > Enhanced Features and disable all features that share data outside your account. Turn off motion-triggered recording for areas that capture public sidewalks and neighbor properties. Reduce motion sensitivity and set motion zones to cover only your immediate property. Disable audio recording if your jurisdiction allows video-only monitoring. Under Privacy settings, disable video sharing requests from law enforcement. Review the list of devices and shared users, removing any you do not recognize. In your phone settings, disable Ring's access to contacts and limit location access. Be aware that even with these settings, Ring sends video to Amazon's cloud servers for processing, and Amazon retains the encryption keys. Ring has provided footage to police without warrants, and the Neighbors app has been criticized as a privatized surveillance network. For genuine privacy, replace Ring cameras with a local Network Video Recorder (NVR) system using open-source software like Frigate. Local NVR systems store footage on your own hardware, process AI detection locally, do not send data to any cloud service, and give you complete control over your surveillance system. If replacing Ring is not immediately feasible, at minimum ensure two-factor authentication is enabled, use a strong unique password, and keep firmware updated. Consider covering the camera during times you are not actively monitoring.