The Benefits of the Video Doorbell
In 2016 Ring! officially launched in the UK. With the following announcement this innovative doorbell was to be embraced by millions of households across the country. Ring! said “We are excited to officially bring our mission to the United Kingdom! With help from Crimestoppers, the largest crime-fighting charity in the UK, and support from Ring investor and advocate Sir Richard Branson, Ring now makes it easier for UK residents to monitor and secure their homes from anywhere.”
And they weren’t wrong. The use of this device helped people navigate their lives especially if they were away from home, at work or even on holiday abroad. With an increasing number of home deliveries, people found it extremely useful to chat to a delivery driver remotely and advise them where a parcel should be left - in a safe place or thrown over the fence!
However, whilst the premise behind this innovative piece of equipment was sensible, no one really factored legislation into the equation.
Having a doorbell that assists with the mundane task of directing someone on how to deal with parcels, packages, letters, documents, can be extremely useful. With its wide angle lens and out of peripheral view, it can also be a life saver or indeed aid in the capture of criminal activity, and has been vital in assisting police to track down criminals.
However, Homeowners, tenants, businesses need to be made aware of the implications of owning and installing cameras - yes, in this case a doorbell which has the ability to video and record, is a recording device - camera. Think about privacy and GDPR. How does this impact someone who owns and doorbell or who is in the vicinity of a doorbell?
The most well known case in 2021 - Fairhurst v Woodard (Case No: G00MK161). surrounded a dispute between neighbours over the use of camera for security purposes which included a ‘Ring! doorbell’ . The case dealt with allegations of harassment, nuisance and surveillance and also raised some concerns about how ‘data’ / footage can be accessed remotely.
After the judgment Amazon, the owners of Ring LLC stating that they “strongly encourage our customers to respect their neighbours’ privacy and comply with any applicable laws when using their Ring product”. They clarified that there are setting within the doorbell that can mute sound and also prevent video recording.
It is important to take into account the reasons why these devices are used - to take care of a vulnerable neighbour or relative, to communicate with a post person or delivery driver, to keep an eye on a driveway, all very acceptable reasons, but most definitely not to spy on harass neighbours.