Further to my post on Saturday, the Sunday Times has an article on Ring building a similar relationship with UK police forces: Police and Amazon build ‘surveillance state’ with free all‑seeing doorbells.
Detective Superintendent Andy Smith of Suffolk police, which has provided 1,000 free Ring doorbells, said: “This is massively powerful for us. We have had at least four prolific criminals captured as a consequence of Ring doorbells and, having spoken to a number of victims, [we can say] these devices have provided real reassurance.”
but…
Hannah Couchman, policy expert at the human rights organisation Liberty, described the partnerships as “patently inappropriate” and said: “The blurring of the line between law enforcement and private companies is a real concern.
“Amazon is building a privately run surveillance network. They are turning our front doors into CCTV cameras but without the discussion and public debate you would expect.”
The Sunday Times article is here.
My post, from Saturday, is here.
Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash