Ring announced that it will remove the Request for Assistance (RFA) tool from the Neighbors app as part of a new update This means that public safety agencies, such as fire and police departments, will no longer be able to use this feature to request and receive video in the app This is a stunning reversal of a tool that has been a major point of contention for Ring since its release in 2021

Ring has scaled back its involvement with law enforcement over the years due to privacy concerns; prior to 2021, police could submit requests to Ring to review footage from its cameras Ring would then pass that request on to surrounding homeowners, who could then choose to share the footage if they so desired

Ring discontinued this in June 2021 with the Neighbors app's Request for Assistance feature, and agencies requesting footage must now publish it on the Neighbors app This transparency was believed to help allay concerns that Ring was encouraging a police-like surveillance state 5]

According to Ring, "public safety agencies such as fire and police departments will continue to use the Neighbors app to share helpful safety tips, updates, and community events share" but "will no longer be able to use the RFA tool to request and receive video in their apps"

Nevertheless, as Senator Ed Markey (R-Massachusetts) in 2022 published a study showing that Ring provided user video to law enforcement on 11 occasions without user consent or a warrant from a judge, police still They can demand the footage This is not limited to Ring; other security camera companies have also provided footage to law enforcement agencies

Enabling end-to-end encryption on Ring will prevent anyone, including law enforcement, from viewing the footage, but will disable other features, such as being able to view a live feed from a video doorbell on a smart display

Ring also announced a new category called Ring Moments, where anyone can share funny or heartwarming clips, as Ring Moments allows for non-criminal and non-safety posts Popular content will be featured in a new "Best of Ring" in-app tile where the company shares curated videos