(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) -- Amazon has made an agreement with hundreds of law enforcement agencies to allow footage obtained through their home surveillance Ring doorbells to be stored and shared indefinitely with police, with or without legal cause.
More than 600 police departments across the country are in an agreement with Ring to collect up to 12 hours of surveillance footage obtained through the doorbell cameras with the permission of the homeowners. Amazon and law enforcement said they are hopeful that access to the footage will help police track down trespassers, burglars, and package thieves, among other lawbreakers.
Some have raised concerns that the unfettered footage obtained by police could result in a violation of privacy rights and perhaps even lead to racial profiling of criminals. "Connected doorbells are well on their way to becoming a mainstay of American households, and the lack of privacy and civil rights protections for innocent residents is nothing short of chilling," said Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey said in September.
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