Amazon News: Understanding The Neighbors App Which Lets Police See Camera Footage

Amazon has been partnering up with local authorities through its Ring home security company, which manufactures doorbells equipped with cameras and speakers. One of Ring's services, Neighbors, allows members of a community to share safety information and suspicious footage captured on their Ring doorbells in a shared network, akin to Facebook's news feed.

Users who see videos of suspicious neighborhood activity can then label the videos as a crime.

Law enforcement in some communities have already been using the Neighbors news feed. There are 225 police departments that have teamed up with Ring and police can request Ring doorbell footage.

The app raises privacy concerns but Ring reportedly does not give private camera footage to the police without consent.

The Intercept has been critical of Ring doorbells for not doing enough to protect user privacy, describing its practices as "lax" and "sloppy." There are also worries that the app can be abused by allowing police to see footage that doesn't involve crimes.

In addition to its Ring Doorbell and Neighbors app, Amazon is also implementing a crime surveillance and public safety system into its Prime Air delivery model.

When Amazon incorporates autonomous drones to deliver packages, the machines could take photos and video that would be sent to the recipient when a package is delivered and around the recipient's property.

If a recipient is at work, the photo or video could show them if there is something wrong with their house, such as a fire in extreme cases. The drone could also alert local authorities, such as fire and police departments.

Amazon workers have already started taking photos of a recipient's property when a package is delivered. If customers feel that this is intrusive, they can opt out of the service.

The Ring Alarm, which is compatible with Alexa, retails for $239 on Amazon, while the Ring Video Doorbell Pro costs $249.