Amazon Ring

Amazon's Ring is moving to position its app and devices as a replacement for local WhatsApp community groups, prompting criticism from commentators. A Guardian column argues the shift would encourage suspicion of neighbours and excessive surveillance culture, describing the prospect as a 'curtain-twitching disaster' for community life.

The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a New York-based privacy group, is warning that Apple AirTags and Amazon Ring doorbells pose significant privacy threats similar to those of Flock safety cameras. S.T.O.P. communications director Will Owen said these devices come with myriad privacy risks, though he argued Flock's massive nationwide network of license plate readers constitutes a far larger dragnet. The comments add to ongoing debate over everyday consumer surveillance technology.