Recently there has been a rise in robberies and thefts in our neighborhood as well as in other surrounding neighborhoods. Everything from home invasions, vandalism, porch pirating, car break-ins to pet theft. Yes, some neighbors have been reporting that their dogs have been stollen right out of their fenced in back yards. All you need to do is go on the Neighborhood app to view where and when these crimes have taken place.
In light of the above I’ve taking certain precautions. I have a sign on my front and back door stating that I’m armed and any attempt to harm me or my family would be met with lethal force. Some additional measures I’ve taken is installing sensor operated flood lights on the front and back of my house and installing a Ring camera above my garage. The camera starts recording at the moment any movement occurs. Although we feel a heightened sense of security, I couldn’t help wondering at what cost? I don’t mean the cost of the camera, but the cost on my privacy.
Ring boasts, “Ring is on a mission to make neighborhoods safer. With ring security inside, outside and in your neighborhood, Ring offers complete peace of mind for you, your family and our communities.” This is great, but you basically sign your right of privacy away.
As with many apps, you have to agree to a litany of terms and conditions. I don’t know anyone who reads through all the legal jargon before they hit “agree”.
On the app I had to input my address, location, email, phone number, and email address among other requested information. Moreover, all the videos taken by my camera is being stored in “the cloud” somewhere. Further, what was really creepy was when I was setting the camera up and testing it inside prior to installation.
After downloading the app and applying my personal settings, I did a test run in the living room. I mean, who wants to run the wire, drill into the brick in front of the house, and connect everything up only to find out that it doesn’t work. Been there, done that!
I set it on one of my stereo speakers in the living room. It said that the software was updating and it may take 15 minutes or longer, so I left it on and went about my business.
When I returned, I found out it recorded everything. The audio and visual of me and my family during the entire time it was on. It was just creepy! Even though I deleted the footage I knew that it was already stored in cyber space somewhere. I know people who have these cameras in many rooms’ throughput their house. I couldn’t help but wonder if our quest for security could come back to bite us? What if the government wants to profile us for some nefarious purpose because of our religious or political affiliation? If you think that’s far-fetched, I will say that you’re quite naïve. Remember when the Obama administration spied on the Trump campaign? Remember when Lois Lerner and the IRS targeted conservative non-profit organizations?
Hey, I’m not saying don’t buy and utilize technology for security purposes, but what I am saying is don’t be ignorant of the obvious possible scrutiny and the privacy you’re relinquishing. For me, I’m ok having my Ring camera outside of my house, but I would never have any on the inside.
Next time you’re out for a walk in your neighborhood, remember to smile, you’re on camera!