Ring makes police ask users for video again

Amazon-owned home surveillance company Ring has partnered with Taser-Maker Axon to help law enforcement officers ask for videos of users’ doorbell cameras.

The move reversed Ring’s decision to kill its “Aid Request” feature, which allowed police to ask users about videos through a neighbor app. At the time, Ring formed the change as it turned to becoming a more community brand, which relied less on law enforcement convergence. Now, this spirit seems to be pausing.

It was about the same as the return of ring founder Jamie Siminoff, who rejoined Amazon in April. Under his new leadership, Ring doubled down on AI, reintegrating its relationship with law enforcement. As Business Insider first reported, the new partnership with Axon will allow police to request video from RIND users through Axon’s evidence management system. Ring also reportedly explored an option that would allow users to agree to live streaming the doorbell directly to law enforcement.

In a public statement, Siminoff called Axon Partnership a way to “build a vital connection between our neighbors and public safety agencies”, positioning it as a tool for safer communities.

Axon Deal is just part of Siminoff’s broader return strategy. Now, he oversees not only the ringtones, but also Amazon’s blink camera cable, its in-key delivery system and a sidewalk wireless network. Since his return, Siminoff has pushed the Hyper-AI agenda, including internal tasks, to “do more” by using AI to simplify operations. Among insiders, even promotions now need to demonstrate the impact of AI-driven on efficiency or customer experience.

Inside, this shift causes eyebrows. Current ring staff told insiders that they weren’t sure how to use the collected lenses and raised a banner about privacy and data issues that have long plagued the brand.

In 2023, Amazon reached a $5.8 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which reached an agreement over rings and Alexa users, despite the company denying any wrongdoing.