![]() Google’s policies similarly allow it to share video with law enforcement where there is user consent or a legal order, while D-Link’s and TP-Link’s policies will do so under legal orders. Having this in our privacy policy does not change our practice of not sharing this data with law enforcement unless required to do so by law,” or with user consent in most cases. Guo added that “in those rare cases where we might be storing a user’s footage in our optional cloud service,” Eufy will share the footage with law enforcement either with user consent, a legally binding order, or in “an emergency involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to a person.”Ī SimpliSafe spokeswoman, Amy Nagy, said: “In our privacy policy we do reserve the right to share customer videos with law enforcement in times of extreme emergencies. “We do offer optional cloud storage for those that want to expand their storage capacity, but this applies to less than 2 percent of our customer base.” We do not have access to this footage,” said a Eufy spokeswoman, Vicky Guo. ![]() “With Eufy Security, our user’s video footage is stored locally and privately in their homes. Some D-Link and TP-Link cameras can store footage locally on a microSD card, but other models from each brand require cloud video storage plans. While all Google Nest and SimpliSafe cameras and doorbells use cloud video storage, most Eufy cameras and doorbells store footage locally on the device itself using end-to-end encryption, with the company’s cloud video storage being an optional service for Eufy customers. It’s worth noting that these policies specifically apply to Google, Eufy, D-Link, TP-Link, and SimpliSafe cameras and doorbells that store footage on the manufacturers’ servers. “We take emergency disclosure requests very seriously, and have dedicated teams and strict policies in place that are designed to ensure that we provide information that can assist first responders in the event of an emergency while ensuring that we only disclose data that is reasonably necessary to avert an ongoing threat,” a Google spokesperson said. Google and SimpliSafe claimed they haven’t used their policies to date. D-Link and TP-Link did not respond to requests for comment, although their policies are spelled out on their respective websites.ĬR reached out to these companies after Amazon disclosed that it shares Ring camera and doorbell footage with the police without warrants in emergency situations, and has done so 11 times so far this year.Īmong the other companies with emergency request policies, Eufy told CR that it received two from law enforcement in the past year, but it couldn’t comply because the footage was stored locally on the Eufy cameras, not in Eufy’s cloud storage system. ![]() Eufy and SimpliSafe confirmed they have similar policies. Google-which has a Law Enforcement Request System for these requests-confirmed its policy with Consumer Reports, citing the legal powers granted to it under the ECPA. This federal law states that providers can disclose customer records “to a governmental entity, if the provider, in good faith, believes that an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to any person requires disclosure without delay of information relating to the emergency.” While much of the focus has been on Amazon’s Ring, a subsequent review of privacy policies and terms of service at Google, SimpliSafe, Eufy, D-Link, and TP-Link reveal that all have policies for sharing camera and doorbell video footage with law enforcement without a warrant or user permission, in the event of potentially life-threatening emergencies, or to protect the safety of individuals.Įven companies without these policies (such as Arlo, ADT, and Wyze) can share video with law enforcement under an exception in the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). The role of video doorbells and security cameras in aiding police investigations has become a hot topic over the last few years, with privacy advocates arguing against relationships between law enforcement and companies that store residential security-camera video.
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