How to Turn Off Ring’s Controversial Search Party Feature
2 minutes read
Ring, the popular home security camera company, recently introduced the ‘Search Party’ feature, designed to help find missing persons by sharing users’ video feeds with authorities during emergencies. This feature, enabled by default, allows police to access footage from participating Ring devices in the area of a search, raising concerns about privacy and surveillance.
To opt out, users must open the Ring app, go to Control Center > Video Requests > Search Party, and toggle the feature off. This simple step ensures that your camera footage will not be automatically shared during police search operations, giving users more control over their privacy.
This matters because the automatic sharing of video data may expose personal moments or sensitive information to law enforcement without explicit, case-by-case consent. Being aware of and managing these settings helps users protect their privacy while still benefiting from the security Ring products offer.
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