Voluntary Fascism: Can anyone explain why you would want Ring cameras in your house?

[Coventina]

Just saw a commercial.


Haven't these companies shown that they will share your stuff with the gov't without checking with you?

[rubbersole]

1. They'll share your stuff with whoever will buy it.

[Hekate]

2. When people are shocked about the sale of data, I point out that in paying for the latest toys...

… and shiny gadgets, we are spending our money to give away our data. Nobody has to steal it from us — we pay them to haul it away and never ask why they want it or what they will use it for.

Some of us refuse to have Ring or appliances that connect to the Internet.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. There are civilized places where your data is your own.

That doesn't yet include U.S.A., Inc.

[applegrove]

3. To stop criminals from getting away with serious crimes in their get away? Civic duty?

[Liberty Belle]

4. Here are some valid reasons:

We got one for Mom when she was living alone with dementia during COVID; it rang to our phone whenever she opened her door so we could see if someone questionable was there, or if she walked outside and didn't return after a few minutes we'd call a neighbor to check or go over there ourselves. We installed it after a neighbor told us she'd let strangers into the house and had some items stolen. With RING, we could even talk and have whoever was on the porch hear us, so they'd know they were being watched and recorded.

Neighbors have gotten Ring doorbell cams after multiple packages thefts or thefts of property outdoors.

People who've been threatened by someone get them to provide evidence if a stalker shows up at their door.

Not sure if feds are getting these videos, but in our area people can voluntarily opt in to partner with our local police dept. to allow them to review videos if a crime has occurred in your area and to warn others. But it's only via opting in - they don't automatically get to peek.

I would be troubled if that's happening, but in a case such as protecting Mom from harm, I'd say the risk was far higher of her being harmed by a stranger or wandering away and forgetting how to get home than the risk of the government swooping in. We were trying to avoid putting her into a nursing home when COVID was rampant and killing nursing home residents.

Sadly she eventually fell and was left unable to walk, so after that we had no choice but to admit her to a facility; her Alzheimer's worsened and she eventually did get COVID despite being vaccinated and boosted. But we probably gave her an added year of life in her own home thanks to the RING doorbell.

[Deuxcents]

6. You gave her the gift w/ love

My next door neighbor turns 95 in August. She’s independent, drives, karaokes n is more social than I am. Her house is wired audio n visual n her family monitors it. She feels safe n if anything should happen, she’s got cameras n can call me. Actually, we all feel better.

[hlthe2b]

7. Nice perspective. I'm sorry for you and your Mother, but that extra year is true gold.

[Silent3]

5. Not that I have bought one yet, but I'd knowingly make the trade-off...

...for the extra personal security if, say, I had to frequently answer the door (which I don't), or had been having trouble with porch pirates (which I haven't).

One thing I have no desire to give into is Alexa-like technology, or the always-on-and-listening mode of Siri.

[Sympthsical]

17. We have an echo dot in the kitchen

And use it for various things. Half the time just music while cooking.

Anyway, it's weird how often my conversations in the kitchen translate to things I might want to buy on Amazon. Total mystery.

[phylny]

8. We have one on our dock in case someone

rides up and wants to help themselves to anything not tied down.

[BlackSkimmer]

10. People who I know that have them use them to monitor the outside of their house.

A ring camera helped to solve that horrible Chris Watts case.

You might be surprised how often you're on camera when you're out and about.

[Brenda]

11. Inside your house:

We only use them inside when we are out of town to monitor pets and as a record for LE if we get burglarized. Would never leave them on while home.

[Baggies]

12. To catch porch pirates

Among other reasons

[Best_man23]

13. Ring cameras, like any other camera, can be hacked

Keep this quote I heard from a cybersecurity expert if you or anyone you know is thinking about one of these cameras.

"Computers, mobile devices, and IOT devices like cameras can be placed into one of two classifications:

Devices that have been hacked, and

Devices that CAN be hacked."

[anarch]

14. hey, if you're not doing anything wrong, why would you care if the NSA can watch everything you do?

with cameras in our homes, phones/computers/televisions/personal assistant robots that listen to absolutely everything you say, and cameras everywhere when you leave the house (not only your neighbors security cams, police cameras that they put up in "high crime zones" and traffic light cameras and all that, but also including as I understand it satellite-based surveillance technology that can read license plates from orbit), it's like we're all TV stars, on camera all the time! Isn't it just great?!?!!

[AntivaxHunters]

15. Because of personal safety

Download the NextDoor app which is sort of like a Facebook for your immediate local community.
You'll be shocked as I was. The amount of crime these things catch in your immediate vicinity is something else.

[Sympthsical]

16. To see who's coming to the door?

We have a Ring on our front porch. Most of my neighbors do. It helps see when packages come. When people have packages stolen, they usually post the footage on NextDoor. Also, delivery people have taken to not knocking or ringing the door bell since Covid. So, if I'm expecting something, I can just glance and check if it's there.

I have friends who have a Comcast set up inside their house. The ones that do are the kind who are away all day at work or out of town a lot. So, they can see what's going on in the house from their work desk, check on pets, etc.

I like seeing who's at the door before I open it. It helps determine if I should maybe put something on before answering since I'm usually chilling in gym clothes or PJ bottoms when I'm working from home, lol.

Also, people in the area have caught things like catalytic converter thefts, people casing houses, and whatnot.

It's a security thing.

[BannonsLiver]

18. Vintage DU Luddite thread.