In early 2026, a question surrounding the Ring video doorbell suddenly becomes urgent in the US: can doorbell footage end up with ICE via Ring? This question arises at a time when ICE is not only associated with immigration enforcement in the public debate, but also with heavy-handed tactics, highly controversial incidents, and fatal shootings. In Minneapolis in January 2026, two people, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, were killed in incidents involving federal agents. There is also criticism of rapid recruitment and whether new staff are sufficiently trained to prevent escalation during arrests. [1]
Now that ICE is under heavy criticism following fatal incidents in Minneapolis, it is important to show exactly how footage from a private doorbell camera can end up in investigation files and then be passed on to federal agencies, as this can have far-reaching consequences for those involved.
Ring offers two features that together form a chain. First, you can have people identified at the door. Then you can share images via Ring when investigative services request them. From the moment of sharing, the user loses control over further distribution and reuse. Ring has also announced a partnership with Flock Safety. Flock is an American platform used by thousands of local investigative agencies to request, search, and share camera footage, with features that make that exchange between affiliated agencies easier and faster. This increases the likelihood that shared images will end up in investigative chains more often and can be shared further, including with federal agencies such as ICE.
The first of the two features that Ring already offers is the recognition feature for visitors at the door. This feature is called "Familiar Faces." When this feature is enabled, users receive notifications such as "Chris at the front door" instead of "person detected." This only works if faces are detected and compared to a library that the user builds up.[3]
Ring describes Familiar Faces as an optional feature that is disabled by default. The feature is available in the United States and Canada, but is not available in Texas, Illinois, Portland, Oregon, and Quebec due to legislation. Once you activate the feature, a camera can recognize "familiar" people and provide personalized notifications.[4]
Ring explains that as soon as a face is detected, the camera adds a photo to the Familiar Faces library. In the app, you can manage profiles and link names.
Ring says that the feature uses biometric information to identify individuals. Once you activate the feature, the camera initially processes all faces that appear in the image, because otherwise there is nothing to compare them with. The distinction between "my acquaintances" and "others" only arises later, when the user adds labels. Processing therefore starts as soon as detection occurs, before a label is assigned.[5]
In addition to the recognition feature, Ring offers a feature for sharing images with law enforcement agencies. With "Community Requests," local public safety agencies, such as police departments, can submit a request in the Neighbors Feed to request Ring footage related to an incident. Ring says that participation is voluntary and that agencies cannot see who ignores a request.[6]
When a user decides to share, the clip goes directly to Axon Evidence, after which it is managed by the requesting agency. Axon Evidence is a digital evidence environment where investigative services can upload, manage, and share video footage and other evidence for case building. Ring also states that such submissions cannot be retrieved.
Once the images have been shared, the user no longer has control over them. Management is in the hands of the investigating authority that requested the images, and the images are stored in an evidence environment designed for file creation. The user no longer has any say in the matter.[8]
Can ICE view Ring cameras live? Ring says no. The company states that it has no partnership with ICE, does not provide videos or feeds, and does not grant access to back-end systems.[9]
But that's not the end of the story. The real question is: what happens to images after a user shares them via a channel designed for evidence management, and how easily can those images then circulate further in investigation chains or via legal channels?
The absence of a formal ICE contract does not preclude images from ending up with federal authorities in practice. If the local service shares the material in a joint investigation, or if a federal service requests it via the local service, the clip may end up in a federal file.[11]
The first route is via Community Requests. A local authority requests images, a user decides to share them, and the clip ends up in Axon Evidence under the control of the requesting authority. From that point on, that agency is in charge. If that agency collaborates with federal agencies, or if federal agencies request information from that local agency, it is shared in a joint investigation or added to a federal file. Thiscan happen without Ring itself ever "sharing with ICE."[12]
The second route involves legally binding requests to Ring, such as court orders, subpoenas, and search warrants. In addition, Ring mentions a separate emergency route for situations involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury. This route is separate from Community Requests. It is the classic path through which federal agencies can obtain information, provided they meet the applicable legal requirements. [13]
In October 2025, Ring and Flock announced that the Community Requests feature would be extended to Flock platforms. At the beginning of January 2026, this integration is not yet live. At present, Community Requests are only processed via Ring's own environment, and if a user decides to share, the clip is sent to Axon Evidence via the existing link. The link with Flock is relevant because Flock is already set up for mutual searchability between connected agencies, allowing information to be reused more quickly outside its original context.
Senator Ron Wyden wrote in October 2025 that Flock had told his office that 75 percent of Flock's customers were connected to the "National Lookup Tool." By this, he means Flock customers in law enforcement, such as local police departments and sheriff's offices. The National Lookup Tool is a nationwide search function within Flock that allows a connected agency to search not only its own Flock camera data, but also the Flock camera data of other connected agencies. In the same letter, Wyden describes risks associated with this mutual searchability and patterns in which federal parties can indirectly benefit through local cooperation.
Wyden also writes that Flock ran pilots in 2025 with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative arm of ICE. According to Wyden, those federal pilots have since ended, but federal access remains possible in practice through local security agencies. For example, local users perform searches at the request of federal agents, or login details can be shared. In addition, 404 Media reported in May 2025 that local police conducted searches in Flock systems using "ICE," "immigration," and similar reasons, which amounts to side-door access without a formal ICE contract.
Community Requests now follow a single route. A local public safety agency submits the request in Axon Evidence, it appears as a Community Request in the Neighbors Feed, and when a user shares it, the clip goes directly to Axon Evidence.[17]
The Flock link does not add a new type of request, but it does add an extra starting point. Once Community Requests can be initiated from Flock, it will be easier for Flock users to send out requests and repeat them more often or more widely. The user will then see such a request as a Community Request in the Neighbors Feed in the Ring app. This can increase the scale at which Ring images are requested and retrieved. The follow-up lies with the local authority. It can forward the material in collaboration with other parties, including federal parties. ICE does not need direct access to Ring for this, and a formal ICE contract is not decisive. [18]
Once images become part of an investigation, they are rarely "just a clip." They link a person or visit to a specific address and time, and can reveal patterns, such as repeated visits to the same address. In combination with source data such as home address and the email address of the Ring account, follow-up becomes easy. This can lead to additional questions, new claims, or further investigation of that address. Especially in the current climate surrounding immigration enforcement, this can have far-reaching consequences for those involved.
For Dutch readers, it is important to note that the "Community Requests" feature used by Ring in the US does not exist here, as far as is publicly known. That is reassuring, but it does not mean that doorbell images in the Netherlands are necessarily "private." In practice, the police may ask you to share images, for example after an incident in the neighborhood. If your camera is registered with Camera in Beeld, a system in which you voluntarily register that you have a camera, the police may also approach you more specifically with such a request. If you do not want to cooperate, in many cases that is your choice.[20]
In certain criminal investigations, this may be different. Investigating officers can formally request camera footage if the legal conditions are met. This may also include footage from a private doorbell camera that is not registered anywhere. Anyone who then deliberately fails to comply with such a request may be liable to prosecution.[21] As a result, the Dutch route differs from that in the US, where platform functions such as Community Requests can organize voluntary submission on a larger scale. In the Netherlands, the chain usually only starts after someone has been specifically approached or after a formal request has been made. Once images have been included in an investigation file, they are followed up separately within the criminal proceedings. This makes it wise to only share images if you can reasonably foresee the outcome, also because that outcome may extend beyond the one clip you want to hand over at that moment.
In the current situation, Ring says that ICE cannot view live footage and does not have direct access to Ring feeds or backend systems. However, images may end up outside Ring after voluntary sharing via Community Requests or through legally binding requests, after which the receiving investigative agency decides on storage, use, and further sharing.
The collaboration with Flock mainly changes the scale and use. If Community Requests can also be initiated from Flock, it will become easier for a larger group of local authorities to request Ring images more frequently and more broadly. On top of that, there are the signals mentioned by Wyden and 404 Media about federal pilots and search reasons that explicitly mention "ICE" and "immigration." Even without a direct relationship between Ring and ICE, the chance of Ring footage ending up in federal contexts via local chains is growing significantly. In the Netherlands, too, it is wise to continue to treat doorbell footage as something you only share if you can foresee the consequences, because voluntary sharing or a request for information can quickly go beyond the one clip you wanted to hand over.
[1] Claudia Lauer, “Experts say the divide between Minnesota and federal authorities is unprecedented,” AP News, January 26, 2026, Mark Berman, Maria Sacchetti, Derek Hawkins, and David Ovalle, “ICE tactics and training under scrutiny after Minneapolis shooting,” The Washington Post, January 10, 2026,https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/10/minneapolis-shooting-ice-officers-training-policies/.
Nick Miroff, “The Truth About ICE’s Recruiting Push,” The Atlantic, January 24, 2026,https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/01/ice-new-hires-training-minneapolis-shooting/685745/.
Reuters, Minneapolis shootings put Trump’s immigration surge at center of election-year fight, (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/minneapolis-shootings-put-trumps-immigration-surge-center-election-year-fight-2026-01-25/).
Reuters, Federal immigration agents kill another US citizen in Minneapolis, sparking protests, (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/minnesota-governor-says-federal-agents-involved-shooting-minneapolis-2026-01-24/).
The Guardian, ‘Unimaginable loss’: Renee Good family urges ‘empathy’ in call for justice, (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/12/renee-good-family-ice-killing-statement).
[2] Ring Support, Familiar Faces (beta), (https://ring.com/support/articles/z3yhg/familiar-faces).Ring Support, Community Requests, (https://ring.com/support/articles/uds27/Community-request).
GlobeNewswire, Flock Safety and Ring Announce Partnership to Enable Community Requests and Improve Neighborhood Safety, (https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/10/16/3168160/0/en/Flock-Safety-and-Ring-Announce-Partnership-to-Enable-Community-Requests-and-Improve-Neighborhood-Safety.html).
The Verge, Amazon’s Ring now works with video surveillance company Flock, (https://www.theverge.com/news/801856/amazon-ring-partners-flock-video).
[3] Ring Support, Familiar Faces (beta), (https://ring.com/support/articles/z3yhg/familiar-faces). TechCrunch, Amazon’s Ring rolls out controversial, AI-powered facial recognition feature to video doorbells, (https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/09/amazons-ring-rolls-out-controversial-ai-powered-facial-recognition-feature-to-video-doorbells/).
[4] Ring Support, Familiar Faces (beta), (https://ring.com/support/articles/z3yhg/familiar-faces).
[5] Ring Support, Familiar Faces (beta), (https://ring.com/support/articles/z3yhg/familiar-faces). Electronic Frontier Foundation, The Legal Case Against Ring’s Face Recognition Feature, (https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/11/legal-case-against-rings-face-recognition-feature).
[6] Ring Support, Community Requests, (https://ring.com/support/articles/uds27/Community-request).
Ring Support (Verified Help), Community Request, (https://ring.com/support/verified-help/articles/5t05p/Community-Request).
[7] Ring Support, Community Requests, (https://ring.com/support/articles/uds27/Community-request).
Axon, Axon Evidence, (https://www.axon.com/products/axon-evidence).
Axon, Axon Community Request, (https://www.axon.com/products/axon-community-request).
[8] Ring Support, Community Requests, (https://ring.com/support/articles/uds27/Community-request).
[9]The Verge, Ring says it’s not giving ICE access to its cameras, (https://www.theverge.com/news/866003/ring-ice-camera-access-flock).
Ring Community, ICE, and Flocks partnership with Ring (https://community.ring.com/conversations/ring-video-doorbell/ice-and-flocks-partnership-with-ring/6969c05284e02110bbb53d77).
[10] Ring Support, Community Requests, (https://ring.com/support/articles/uds27/Community-request).
Ring Support, Learn About Ring Law Enforcement Guidelines, (https://ring.com/support/articles/oi8t6/Learn-About-Ring-Law-Enforcement-Guidelines).
[11] Senator Ron Wyden, Wyden Letter to Flock (pdf), (https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_flock.pdf).
404 Media, ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows, (https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/).
Ring Support, Learn About Ring Law Enforcement Guidelines, (https://ring.com/support/articles/oi8t6/Learn-About-Ring-Law-Enforcement-Guidelines).
[12] Ring Support, Community Requests, (https://ring.com/support/articles/uds27/Community-request).
Axon, Axon Community Request, (https://www.axon.com/products/axon-community-request).
[13] Ring Support, Learn About Ring Law Enforcement Guidelines, (https://ring.com/support/articles/oi8t6/Learn-About-Ring-Law-Enforcement-Guidelines).
[14] GlobeNewswire, Flock Safety and Ring Announce Partnership to Enable Community Requests and Improve Neighborhood Safety, (https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/10/16/3168160/0/en/Flock-Safety-and-Ring-Announce-Partnership-to-Enable-Community-Requests-and-Improve-Neighborhood-Safety.html).
The Verge, Amazon’s Ring now works with video surveillance company Flock, (https://www.theverge.com/news/801856/amazon-ring-partners-flock-video).
Senator Ron Wyden, Wyden Letter to Flock (pdf), (https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_flock.pdf).
[15] Senator Ron Wyden, Wyden Letter to Flock (pdf), (https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_flock.pdf).
[16] Senator Ron Wyden, Wyden Letter to Flock (pdf), (https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_flock.pdf).
404 Media, ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows, (https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, About CBP, (https://www.cbp.gov/about).
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, (https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/hsi).
[17] Ring Support, Community Requests, (https://ring.com/support/articles/uds27/Community-request).
Ring Support (Verified Help), Community Request, (https://ring.com/support/verified-help/articles/5t05p/Community-Request).
Axon, Axon Community Request, (https://www.axon.com/products/axon-community-request).
[18] The Verge, Amazon’s Ring now works with video surveillance company Flock, (https://www.theverge.com/news/801856/amazon-ring-partners-flock-video).
Flock Safety Blog, Flock Safety and Ring Partner to Help Neighborhoods Work Together for Safer Communities, (https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safety-and-ring-partner-to-help-neighborhoods-work-together-for-safer-communities).
Senator Ron Wyden, Wyden Letter to Flock (pdf), (https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_flock.pdf).
[19] Reuters, Trump’s showy immigration enforcement leads to violent confrontations, (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-showy-immigration-enforcement-leads-violent-confrontations-2026-01-10/).
Military.com, ICE Hiring Surge Triggers Capitol Hill Concerns Over Training Standards, (https://www.military.com/daily-news/headlines/2026/01/06/ice-hiring-surge-triggers-oversight-concerns-over-training-standards.html).
ProPublica, Immigration Agents Using Banned Chokeholds on U.S. Citizens and Protesters, (https://www.propublica.org/article/videos-ice-dhs-immigration-agents-using-banned-chokeholds-citizens).
PBS NewsHour, Immigration officers claim sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo says, (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/immigration-officers-claim-sweeping-power-to-enter-homes-without-a-judges-warrant-memo-says).
[20] Ring Support, “Using Neighbors by Ring,” in which Ring states that Neighbors is only available in the United States, accessed January 28, 2026.https://ring.com/support/articles/kv87c/using-neighbors-by-ring.
Politie.nl, “Camera in Beeld, frequently asked questions,” in which the police explain that Camera in Beeld is a voluntary registration system and that, in the event of an incident, the police can contact camera owners to request images, accessed January 28, 2026.https://www.politie.nl/onderwerpen/camera-in-beeld.html.
[21] Article 126nda of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Article 184 of the Criminal Code.
Voluntary registration of camera locations so that the police can specifically request images in the event of incidents, Politie.nl, “Camera in Beeld,” accessed January 29, 2026,https://www.politie.nl/onderwerpen/camera-in-beeld.html.
Parliamentary Papers, Appendix to Proceedings 2023D43855, consulted on January 29, 2026,https://www.tweedekamer.nl/downloads/document?id=2023D43855, pages 1, 2, and 4.
[22] Ring describes Neighbors as only available in the United States), Ring Support, “Using Neighbors by Ring,” accessed January 29, 2026,https://ring.com/support/articles/kv87c/using-neighbors-by-ring.
