Are Ring doorbells now illegal?

[thenewoc]

Mine probably would. Houses on modern developments can be quite close. Theirs is almost on the road as they only have a shallow garden and ours is a little longer than a cars length. We wouldn't need a doorbell to hear every word of the loud mouth Italian that lives next door but one.

The nest I can zoom in to basically frame their front door.

 

[SMN]

As others have said, most of the news on this subject is clickbait. The issue is this bloke had ring doorbells as CCTV cameras dotted around his house, and some of those were recording beyond the boundaries of his property into private property.
This article covers most concerns well: https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/

My advice would be: if your doorbell looks out onto the street, as is the normal use-case, you're fine. Its public, people shouldnt expect privacy walking in the street. However, if you slap a CCTV camera on the back of your house and it can record your neighbours gardens or even conversations, then i'd suggest perhaps relocating those cameras

 

[Kenai]

The issue is this bloke had ring doorbells as CCTV cameras dotted around his house, and some of those were recording beyond the boundaries of his property into private property.

This (but worse)

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Fairhurst-v-Woodard-Judgment-1.pdf

If you read through the actual judgment summary, it's apparent he had a ring floodlight camera mounted on his neighbours wall at high level, overlooking the next neighbour and not viewing any of his own property at all. That's amongst all the other cameras and accusations of harassment etc.

He was absolutely taking the **** by the sounds of it.

 

[ChrisD.]

Anything to drive traffic to the website and generate ad revenue. I really can't stand the majority of sites on the internet and how they operate.

 

[Yaayuh!]

The bbc article is less omg and more informative

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58911296

Indeed. Key parts being:

In the judgement it was found that the Ring doorbell captured images of the claimant's house and garden, while the shed camera covered almost the whole of her garden and her parking space.

Judge Melissa Clarke found that audio data collected by cameras on a shed, in a driveway and on the Ring doorbell was processed unlawfully. She noted that at the time it was not possible to turn off the audio recording facility - that happened in an update in 2020.

She said that she found the audio data that could capture conversations "even more problematic and detrimental than video data".

 

[Haze]

OP reads the daily fail.... Nuff said

 

[Talasour]

My neighbor told me that because the Ring doorbell also covers part of his house that if he complained the police could tell me to move it but honestly can't see that happening.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

If you read through the actual judgment summary, it's apparent he had a ring floodlight camera mounted on his neighbours wall at high level, overlooking the next neighbour and not viewing any of his own property at all.

My next door but one neighbour has a camera overlooking my next door neighbours property because he doesn't trust him (they had an altercation years ago).
It did prove useful when my neighbour was broken into and the next door but two neighbour gave the Police the videos and the police knew the scrote.

 

[Talasour]

interesting as mine does too.

He's a cool guy and won't complain as it also records his house if anything happens, think it was just a heads up.

Just Googled it and apparently, there have been instances where neighbours have complained and the police have been involved.

 

[Semple]

My neighbor told me that because the Ring doorbell also covers part of his house that if he complained the police could tell me to move it but honestly can't see that happening.

My understanding is that if you blank/blur out the coverage of your neighbours property (and can prove this if requested) then your cameras would be fine - also assuming they don't pick up audio. This might be a bit trickier to do with a PTZ camera as what it's viewing will change.

 

[Talasour]

crazy that is, the neighbour must have have something to hide.

More than likely mate but I wouldn't be too fussed as long as it doesn't affect me or my partner.

 

[gailjon]

crazy that is, the neighbour must have have something to hide.

Crazy that you don't want to be recorded with neighbour's cameras? Not really, as I don't think many people would want to be recorded going about their own business in their own home.

 

[fastwunz]

The RING is my doorbell but I've already seen you before you get to my door.
I think they are awesome.

Oh I know how they work I’m not daft - it’s just principle lol

 

[SimonR]

I think that this is very much about context. I have a lot of CCTV covering my property but except for one camera its recording is limited to the boundaries of my property. The one camera that does have a portion of my neighbours driveway, my neighbour is aware of and he knows what is being recorded, which he was grateful for when his vans got broken into. I also install quite a lot of CCTV and have refused jobs on the grounds that the install would be compromised as it recorded too much street-scene or other people's property. I have also installed covert CCTV for prosecution purposes - but this was heavily documented and regulated. I have never known the Police to become involved in any CCTV disputes as that is normally the domain of the ICO or Civil courts.

Smart doorbells are just a way of life and given that many Police forces actually had / have a program of giving them away in high crime areas, I highly doubt that the legality of their use, in a normal installation scenario, is going to change.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I don’t know what it is but I find these door bells a little creepy. It’s like people that put cctv inside their own houses - it’s weird. Like I said, I just find them creepy and have an aversion to using them when going to a house. I just use the blumin door bell or knock.

So someone has gone to the trouble of installing something which will let them know you are at their door but you choose to avoid this and use something less useful?

I used mine really for parcel management. As in every time I get a parcel I can tell the driver what to do with it. How to access my safe place and where it is.

The number of people who then choose not to us the doorbell is infuriating. By not using it you are simply wasting your own time and the person in the home if they then have to re-arrange delivery or go and collect it.

Just use the doorbell like a normal person.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Crazy that you don't want to be recorded with neighbour's cameras? Not really, as I don't think many people would want to be recorded going about their own business in their own home.

There were no cameras inside the neighbors home

 

[SexyGreyFox]

So someone has gone to the trouble of installing something which will let them know you are at their door but you choose to avoid this and use something less useful?

I used mine really for parcel management. As in every time I get a parcel I can tell the driver what to do with it. How to access my safe place and where it is.

The number of people who then choose not to us the doorbell is infuriating. By not using it you are simply wasting your own time and the person in the home if they then have to re-arrange delivery or go and collect it.

Just use the doorbell like a normal person.

He misses the fact that they have already spotted him without pressing it
Hardly anybody presses mine but within seconds I'm talking to them.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

He misses the fact that they have already spotted him without pressing it
Hardly anybody presses mine but within seconds I'm talking to them.

Yes I get the notification too but my phone won't vibrate or go off unless they hit the button. Especially if I'm at home and don't have my phone on me. You need to press the doorbell for my multiple speakers (which are being used as wireless chimes) to go off. It's ridiculous the number of people who don't simply press the button. I actually put a note up in the window saying to press the doorbell and they started using it but now some have gone back to chapping the door. If i happen to be on my phone or catch it then yeah fair enough but it's preferable they just press the button that's what it was designed for. By not pressing it they are just shooting themselves in the foot to spite their face.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Yes I get the notification too but my phone won't vibrate or go off unless they hit the button. Especially if I'm at home and don't have my phone on me. You need to press the doorbell for my multiple speakers (which are being used as wireless chimes) to go off. It's ridiculous the number of people who don't simply press the button. I actually put a note up in the window saying to press the doorbell and they started using it but now some have gone back to chapping the door. If i happen to be on my phone or catch it then yeah fair enough but it's preferable they just press the button that's what it was designed for. By not pressing it they are just shooting themselves in the foot to spite their face.

You haven't got it set up right then.
When somebody triggers my Ring, the chime, Echo Show, my phone and smartwatch make a noise.
When they press the Ring they all go off but the Echo Show goes into live mode.

Mine is going mental at the moment, they're installing Lila Connect -

 

[Fatboy123]

This is as good as it gets -

Good to see that you can keep an eye on the comings and goings of your neighbours.

crazy that is, the neighbour must have have something to hide.

You win my creapy post of the day award!

Wonder what happens when Amazon connects up its AI facial and car number plate recognition system to its UK network of ring doorbells. All for the common good of keeping people safe.

#SkyNet

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Good to see that you can keep an eye on the comings and goings of your neighbours.

Only if they walk up my drive which they never do.