Federal Law Enforcement Access to Ring Doorbell Videos
“Can Federal Law Enforcement Access Your Ring Doorbell Videos? Here Are the Details, and Your Options.”
With new Ring partnerships, you can still limit access to your Ring videos—or choose other products that give you complete control.
Ring announced on Feb. 12, 2026, that it was canceling its partnership with Flock “following a comprehensive review.” See below for information on how Ring and Ring users may cooperate with law enforcement. CR also has a detailed guide to Ring’s privacy and security settings.
Recently, owners of Ring doorbells and security cameras have been asking whether their video footage could be used by local or federal officials without permission, and in particular, whether license plate data is being captured as people drive by. This is a new wrinkle in the concern that some Ring customers have expressed for years about how the company coordinates with police forces.
The short answer: People who use Ring cameras have substantial, but not complete, control over whether their videos are shared with government officials. In addition, consumers have lots of other options for doorbells and other security cameras—including models that keep video completely private by storing it locally, at home. Many products score higher than Ring cameras in CR’s testing.
More Information at:
https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/personal-information/can-federal-law-enforcement-access-your-ring-doorbell-videos-a4894322123/
