Video recordings of Amazon’s ring doorbell can also be made available to the police in Germany. The group is not waiting for a judicial decision, as a spokesman has now confirmed. An “imminent threat” is sufficient. Data protectionists are demanding consequences and fines.
Amazon: Ring Videos for the Police
Contrary to what has previously been communicated, Amazon is not only working with law enforcement in the USA. Also in Germany, according to an Amazon spokesman, the police can request videos and datacreated by the smart doorbell Ring. Amazon would follow the request even in the absence of a court order or the bell owner’s consent.
According to Amazon, German law enforcement must “prove imminent threat”, where time is of the essence. The spokesman left open how often data or video recordings from Ring were forwarded to the police or other authorities in Germany. Such applications are rare, it is said (source: Handelsblatt).
In the US, Amazon admitted in July 2022 that private video recordings sent to US law enforcement agencies to have. According to Amazon, a separate online interface is available for this purpose, which the police can use to request “emergency access”. It remains unclear whether the interface will also be offered in Germany.
Here’s how Amazon advertises its Ring cameras:
Data without a court order: Data protectionists are demanding fines
Baden-Württemberg’s data protection officer, Stefan Brink, has already criticized Amazon’s approach and possible fines into play. Above all, he is bothered by the “unreasonable, longer storage and processing” without the consent of the ring owner. Even visitors can be unaware of what might follow after a simple ring of the doorbell.