Source: Money Control
Reports suggest how companies such as Apple Inc, Arlo, along with the Eufy-owner, Anker provided confirmations this week how they would not violate their customers’ privacy. They gave their word that they would not allow concerned authorities to get hold of the recordings from one’s smart home camera without a necessary warrant for the search. However, companies such as Amazon and Alphabet Inc’s Google are not giving the same promise. They stated how they would turn in the data in case of any ’emergency.’
Not long ago, Amazon stated how it is set to provide the police with access to footage from their Ring camera without any necessary order or warrant. According to reports, Google’s current privacy policy showcases an identical provision, indicating that its Nest commodities’ data would now be accessible to the police with the absence of a set warrant.
In majority of the situations, policies for information requests for Amazon and Google in the United States require the presentation of a subpoena, or order prior to data submission. Along with Arlo and Apple, Wyze and Anker are following such a step in all types of requests. However, Google and Amazon.com Inc is making exceptions in case authorities come up with an emergency request for the information. A few weeks ago, Amazon made the revelation of 11 such requests coming their way.
The companies’ take on such requests:
According to sources, Google attempts to inform its users while giving their information in such cases. However, Amazon is yet to specify if it at all gives notice to the users in case law enforcement is getting access to their camera footage. Though companies are generally permitted to provide information in case of emergencies, no such law exactly enforces this protocol. Clearly, this shows why firms like Arlo are insisting on a warrant even if an emergency calls for handing over such data.
On the other hand, claims from Eufy and Apple indicate that even the companies themselves cannot exactly access the camera footages owing to end-to-end encryption. Moreover, even Amazon’s Ring has the option for users to turn end-to-end encryption on, in spits of its connection to the law enforcement. However, this option is not provided in all its cameras, and varies from model to model.
As of now, Google does not offer this provisions at all for its Nest camera range. Moreover, even information request policy of companies like Wyze and Anker does not exactly guarantee their adequate safe keeping of the customers’ data.
