<s>
Ring	B-Application
LLC	I-Application
is	O
a	O
manufacturer	O
of	O
home	O
security	O
and	O
smart	B-Device
home	I-Device
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
operates	O
Neighbors	B-Application
,	O
a	O
social	O
network	O
that	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
discuss	O
local	O
safety	O
and	O
security	O
issues	O
,	O
and	O
share	O
footage	O
captured	O
with	O
Ring	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Via	O
Neighbors	B-Application
,	O
Ring	O
may	O
also	O
provide	O
footage	O
and	O
data	O
to	O
law	O
enforcement	O
agencies	O
to	O
assist	O
in	O
investigations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
was	O
first	O
founded	O
in	O
the	O
Fall	O
of	O
2013	O
by	O
Jamie	O
Siminoff	O
as	O
the	O
crowdfunded	O
startup	O
Doorbot	B-Application
;	O
it	O
was	O
renamed	O
Ring	O
in	O
the	O
Fall	O
of	O
2014	O
,	O
after	O
which	O
it	O
began	O
to	O
receive	O
equity	O
investments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
in	O
2018	O
for	O
over	O
$1.2	O
billion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ring	O
's	O
product	O
lines	O
have	O
faced	O
scrutiny	O
over	O
privacy	O
issues	O
;	O
the	O
Neighbors	B-Application
service	O
has	O
been	O
criticized	O
by	O
civil	O
rights	O
advocacy	O
groups	O
as	O
building	O
a	O
private	O
surveillance	O
network	O
backed	O
by	O
law	O
enforcement	O
agencies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2013	O
,	O
Ring	O
was	O
founded	O
as	O
Doorbot	B-Application
by	O
Jamie	O
Siminoff	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Doorbot	B-Application
was	O
crowdfunded	O
via	O
Christie	O
Street	O
,	O
and	O
raised	O
364	O
,	O
000	O
,	O
more	O
than	O
the	O
$	O
250,000	O
requested	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
,	O
Siminoff	O
and	O
Doorbot	B-Application
appeared	O
on	O
an	O
episode	O
of	O
the	O
reality	O
series	O
Shark	O
Tank	O
to	O
seek	O
a	O
$	O
700,000	O
investment	O
in	O
the	O
company	O
,	O
which	O
he	O
estimated	O
was	O
worth	O
$7	O
million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2018	O
,	O
Ring	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
for	O
an	O
estimated	O
value	O
of	O
between	O
$1.2	O
to	O
$1.8	O
billion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2018	O
,	O
Ring	O
launched	O
the	O
hyperlocal	O
social	O
network	O
Neighbors	B-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
designed	O
to	O
allow	O
users	O
to	O
anonymously	O
discuss	O
local	O
safety	O
and	O
security	O
issues	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
share	O
photos	O
and	O
videos	O
captured	O
with	O
Ring	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2020	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
new	O
platform	O
known	O
as	O
Amazon	B-Application
Sidewalk	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
designed	O
to	O
allow	O
internet	B-Operating_System
of	I-Operating_System
things	I-Operating_System
devices	O
to	O
communicate	O
over	O
the	O
internet	O
via	O
a	O
wireless	O
mesh	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
formed	O
by	O
devices	O
such	O
as	O
Amazon	B-Device
Echo	I-Device
speakers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2022	O
,	O
Amazon-owned	O
MGM	O
Television	O
launched	O
a	O
syndicated	O
television	O
series	O
co-branded	O
with	O
Ring	O
,	O
Ring	O
Nation	O
,	O
which	O
highlights	O
viral	O
videos	O
recorded	O
using	O
phones	O
,	O
home	O
security	O
cameras	O
,	O
and	O
smart	O
doorbells	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ring	B-Application
Video	I-Application
Doorbell	I-Application
is	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
flagship	O
product	O
;	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
smart	O
doorbell	O
that	O
contains	O
a	O
high-definition	O
camera	O
,	O
a	O
motion	O
sensor	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
microphone	O
and	O
speaker	O
for	O
two-way	O
audio	O
communication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
integrates	O
with	O
an	O
associated	O
mobile	B-Application
app	I-Application
,	O
Neighbors	B-Application
,	O
which	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
view	O
real-time	O
video	O
from	O
the	O
camera	O
,	O
receive	O
notifications	O
when	O
the	O
doorbell	O
is	O
rung	O
,	O
and	O
communicate	O
with	O
visitors	O
at	O
the	O
door	O
via	O
the	O
integrated	O
speaker	O
and	O
microphone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
also	O
capable	O
of	O
operating	O
as	O
a	O
surveillance	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
,	O
and	O
can	O
automatically	O
trigger	O
recordings	O
when	O
rung	O
,	O
or	O
when	O
its	O
motion	O
sensors	O
are	O
activated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
second-generation	O
model	O
,	O
Ring	B-Application
Doorbell	I-Application
2	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2017	O
,	O
with	O
updated	O
hardware	O
and	O
a	O
1080p	O
camera	O
with	O
improved	O
low-light	O
performance	O
,	O
that	O
does	O
not	O
rely	O
solely	O
on	O
Wi-Fi	O
,	O
unlike	O
the	O
original	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ring	B-Application
Doorbell	I-Application
Pro	O
interoperates	O
with	O
Amazon	B-Application
Alexa	I-Application
to	O
play	O
prerecorded	O
greetings	O
to	O
visitors	O
and	O
allow	O
visitors	O
to	O
leave	O
a	O
message	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Chime	O
Pro	O
"	O
is	O
an	O
extended	O
version	O
that	O
also	O
doubles	O
as	O
a	O
wireless	B-Device
repeater	I-Device
for	O
Wi-Fi	O
networks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2020	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
recall	O
of	O
350,000	O
Ring	B-Application
doorbells	I-Application
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
and	O
8,700	O
in	O
Canada	O
due	O
to	O
a	O
potential	O
fire	O
risk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
,	O
Ring	O
released	O
the	O
"	O
Stick-Up	O
Cam	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
wireless	O
IP	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
CES	O
2019	O
,	O
Ring	O
announced	O
a	O
peephole	B-Application
camera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Car	O
Alarm	O
is	O
an	O
OBD-II	O
car	O
alarm	O
that	O
can	O
send	O
alerts	O
of	O
events	O
such	O
as	O
break-ins	O
via	O
Ring	O
and	O
Amazon	B-Application
Alexa	I-Application
,	O
and	O
leverages	O
Amazon	B-Application
Sidewalk	O
for	O
connectivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2022	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
pilot	O
program	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
domestic	O
robot	O
Astro	O
as	O
a	O
remote-controlled	O
security	O
guard	O
connected	O
to	O
Ring	O
security	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
new	O
users	O
,	O
Ring	O
Protect	O
will	O
be	O
required	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
use	O
Ring	O
Alarm	O
via	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
app	I-Application
,	O
otherwise	O
the	O
system	O
may	O
only	O
be	O
controlled	O
with	O
the	O
physical	O
keypad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neighbors	B-Application
is	O
a	O
hyperlocal	O
social	O
networking	O
app	B-Application
launched	O
by	O
Ring	O
in	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ring	O
also	O
has	O
partnerships	O
with	O
local	O
police	O
departments	O
in	O
some	O
cities	O
to	O
incorporate	O
Neighbors	B-Application
into	O
their	O
crime	O
monitoring	O
processes	O
,	O
who	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
make	O
official	O
posts	O
for	O
distribution	O
on	O
the	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
disclosed	O
Ring	O
's	O
criteria	O
for	O
accepting	O
requests	O
from	O
police	O
departments	O
for	O
video	O
footage	O
shared	O
to	O
Neighbors	B-Application
in	O
a	O
response	O
to	O
Massachusetts	O
Senator	O
Ed	O
Markey	O
on	O
November	O
1	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Markey	O
criticized	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
response	O
,	O
describing	O
Ring	O
as	O
"	O
an	O
open	O
door	O
for	O
privacy	O
and	O
civil	O
liberty	O
violations	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
claims	O
that	O
it	O
seeks	O
permission	O
from	O
applicable	O
users	O
before	O
releasing	O
footage	O
to	O
law	O
enforcement	O
,	O
but	O
may	O
release	O
footage	O
without	O
user	O
consent	O
in	O
emergency	O
situations	O
,	O
or	O
under	O
subpoena	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2022	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
stated	O
to	O
in	O
a	O
letter	O
to	O
Markey	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
released	O
footage	O
without	O
user	O
permission	O
at	O
least	O
eleven	O
times	O
so	O
far	O
in	O
2022	O
—	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
first	O
public	O
confirmation	O
that	O
it	O
has	O
done	O
so	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
TechHive	O
gave	O
the	O
second-generation	O
Ring	B-Application
doorbell	I-Application
a	O
4	O
out	O
of	O
5	O
,	O
noting	O
improvements	O
in	O
hardware	O
and	O
ease	O
of	O
installation	O
over	O
the	O
first-generation	O
model	O
,	O
but	O
criticizing	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
printed	O
and	O
online	O
documentation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2019	O
,	O
Ring	O
faced	O
criticism	O
over	O
a	O
"	O
Community	O
Alert	O
"	O
program	O
,	O
under	O
which	O
the	O
company	O
has	O
made	O
geographically-targeted	O
sponsored	O
posts	O
on	O
social	O
media	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
Facebook	B-Application
,	O
asking	O
readers	O
to	O
provide	O
tips	O
on	O
suspects	O
in	O
verified	O
cases	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
imagery	O
posted	O
on	O
the	O
Neighbors	B-Application
service	O
by	O
a	O
Ring	O
customer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
these	O
discoveries	O
did	O
lead	O
to	O
concerns	O
over	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
such	O
footage	O
in	O
material	O
deemed	O
to	O
effectively	O
be	O
advertising	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
concerns	O
over	O
other	O
possible	O
uses	O
of	O
the	O
footage	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
for	O
training	O
facial	O
recognition	O
)	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
wide	O
copyright	O
license	O
that	O
users	O
must	O
grant	O
to	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
use	O
Neighbors	B-Application
(	O
an	O
irrevocable	O
,	O
unlimited	O
,	O
and	O
royalty-free	O
license	O
to	O
use	O
shared	O
content	O
"	O
for	O
any	O
purpose	O
and	O
in	O
any	O
media	O
formats	O
in	O
any	O
media	O
channels	O
without	O
compensation	O
to	O
you	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Ring	O
's	O
partnerships	O
with	O
local	O
law	O
enforcement	O
agencies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	O
rights	O
advocacy	O
group	O
Fight	B-Application
for	I-Application
the	I-Application
Future	I-Application
criticized	O
Ring	O
for	O
using	O
its	O
cameras	O
and	O
Neighbors	B-Application
app	B-Application
to	O
build	O
a	O
private	O
surveillance	O
network	O
via	O
partnerships	O
with	O
local	O
law	O
enforcement	O
agencies	O
,	O
which	O
encourage	O
them	O
to	O
promote	O
the	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
organization	O
said	O
that	O
Ring	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Neighbors	B-Application
and	O
similar	O
"	O
neighborhood	O
watch	O
"	O
apps	O
such	O
as	O
Citizen	B-Application
and	O
Nextdoor	O
,	O
"	O
facilitate	O
reporting	O
of	O
so-called	O
'	O
suspicious	O
 '	O
behavior	O
that	O
really	O
amounts	O
to	O
racial	O
profiling.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Matt	O
Cagle	O
of	O
the	O
American	O
Civil	O
Liberties	O
Union	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
Ring	O
Neighbors	B-Application
Portal	O
"	O
blurs	O
the	O
line	O
between	O
corporate	O
and	O
government	O
surveillance	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
Many	O
people	O
are	O
not	O
going	O
to	O
feel	O
like	O
they	O
have	O
a	O
choice	O
when	O
law	O
enforcement	O
asks	O
for	O
access	O
to	O
their	O
footage	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
department	O
was	O
granted	O
access	O
to	O
a	O
"	O
Law	O
Enforcement	O
Neighborhood	O
Portal	O
"	O
for	O
making	O
posts	O
on	O
Neighbors	B-Application
and	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
"	O
request	O
videos	O
directly	O
from	O
Ring	O
users	O
,	O
"	O
and	O
received	O
a	O
donation	O
of	O
15	O
Ring	O
cameras	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
memorandum	O
of	O
understanding	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
LPD	O
would	O
be	O
required	O
to	O
participate	O
in	O
"	O
outreach	O
efforts	O
on	O
the	O
platform	O
to	O
encourage	O
adoption	O
of	O
the	O
platform/app	O
"	O
(	O
receiving	O
$10	O
credits	O
for	O
Ring	O
camera	O
purchases	O
for	O
each	O
new	O
user	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
December	O
2019	O
test	O
,	O
Motherboard	O
found	O
that	O
Ring	O
's	O
software	O
did	O
not	O
implement	O
security	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
recognizing	O
unknown	O
IP	B-Protocol
addresses	I-Protocol
or	O
providing	O
a	O
display	O
of	O
active	O
login	B-Operating_System
sessions	I-Operating_System
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
publication	O
to	O
access	O
a	O
Ring	O
account	O
from	O
IP	B-Protocol
addresses	I-Protocol
based	O
in	O
multiple	O
countries	O
without	O
warning	O
the	O
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Neighbors	B-Application
network	O
leaks	O
metadata	O
about	O
the	O
footage	O
posted	O
in	O
videos	O
and	O
"	O
crime	O
alerts	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
metadata	O
,	O
combined	O
with	O
public	O
city	O
map	O
data	O
,	O
is	O
frequently	O
sufficient	O
to	O
discover	O
the	O
exact	O
location	O
of	O
the	O
Ring	B-Application
doorbell	I-Application
or	O
a	O
camera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
one	O
experiment	O
,	O
Gizmodo	O
located	O
20	O
thousand	O
devices	O
based	O
on	O
information	O
collected	O
(	O
scraped	O
from	O
the	O
app	B-Application
)	O
over	O
a	O
period	O
of	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cybersecurity	O
firm	O
Bitdefender	B-Application
identified	O
a	O
vulnerability	O
in	O
the	O
Ring	B-Application
Video	I-Application
Doorbell	I-Application
Pro	O
product	O
in	O
July	O
2019	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
patched	O
before	O
being	O
publicly	O
disclosed	O
in	O
November	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Motherboard	O
investigation	O
discovered	O
crime	O
forums	O
that	O
distributed	O
software	O
exploits	O
of	O
Ring	O
devices	O
that	O
were	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
cyberattacks	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
hacking	O
forum	O
Nulled	O
had	O
been	O
recording	O
their	O
breaches	O
as	O
"	O
podcasts	B-Operating_System
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
27	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Frontier	O
Foundation	O
concluded	O
that	O
the	O
Ring	B-Application
doorbell	I-Application
app	B-Application
for	O
Android	O
was	O
sending	O
identifiable	O
personal	O
information	O
–	O
including	O
names	O
,	O
IP	B-Protocol
addresses	I-Protocol
,	O
mobile	O
network	O
carriers	O
,	O
persistent	O
IDs	O
and	O
sensor	O
data	O
–	O
to	O
AppsFlyer	O
,	O
branch.io,	O
Facebook	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Mixpanel	O
.	O
</s>
