Privacy Evaluation for Ring
48%
Overview
The Ring product and mobile application are designed to allow users to see, hear, and speak to anyone at their door from their computer or mobile device, and collaborate with others in their community. To provide users with these services, the Ring product captures video or audio recordings, live video or audio streams, images, comments, and data from the product's surrounding environment (such as motion, events, temperature and ambient light). Users should note that the Ring product is capable of capturing, recording, or sharing video or audio content that involves other people, or capturing others peoples' facial feature information, and Ring may share data with law enforcement or neighbors via Amazon Sidewalk, which may affect their privacy rights.
Ring can be accessed through its website, and is available for download at the iOS App Store, the Google Play Store, and the Microsoft Store. The Privacy Policy and Terms of Use used for this evaluation can be found on Ring’s website, iOS App Store, the Google Play Store, and the Microsoft Store. Additionally, other policies used for this evaluation include: California Consumer Privacy Act Disclosures. This evaluation only considers policies that have been made publicly available prior to an individual using the application or service.
Safety
The terms state that the Ring mobile application allows users to collaborate with others in their community. However, the terms do not disclose whether any social interactions are available between users, or whether any personal information or content may be made publicly visible to others.
Privacy
Ring's terms state the product and mobile application collect audio and video information which could include video recording interaction information, such as downloads, streams, and playback details, as well as other audio or visual information, such as the content of video recordings collected or stored in connection with Ring Protect. In addition, the terms state Ring does not authorize their service providers to use or disclose users' personal information except as necessary to provide the service.
The terms state that Ring does not sell personal information to third parties, but does not disclose whether users are sent third-party marketing. However, the policies do state that Ring collects personal information from users about their online activities to provide them with targeted advertising about products and services tailored to their interests. In addition, the terms state that Ring allows third-party networks to track users’ online activities over time by collecting information through automated means, including through the use of cookies, web server logs, web beacons and other similar technologies. The terms state that these ad networks use this information to target ads to users that may be tailored to their interests, and to track users' browsers or devices across multiple websites and to build a profile of users' online browsing activities.
Security
The terms state that Ring maintains administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against accidental, unlawful, or unauthorized destruction, loss, alteration, access, disclosure or use. However, the terms do not disclose any additional information about its security practices or whether Ring encrypts personal information while in transit, or whether they provide notice to users in the event of a data breach.
Compliance
Ring's terms state that users must be at least 13 years old to use the products and services and that they are intended for a general audience and are not directed to children. The terms also state that a parent or legal guardian of a user between the ages of 13 and 18 may provide consent for their teen to use the product. However, parents should be aware that children's personal information may be collected or shared without consent by the capturing of digital audio or video. Additionally, the terms specify that users can access, modify, and delete their personal information and recorded video content with the service at any time. Lastly, the terms state that Ring may also use the personal information they collect about users in other ways for which they provide specific notice at the time of collection and obtain a user's consent, or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity.
Rating
- Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
- Unclear whether personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
- Personalised advertising is displayed.
- Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
- User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.
Data Collection
SCORE: 50%
What data does it collect?
- Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected.
- The categories of collected personally identifiable information are indicated.
- Unclear whether the collection or use of data is limited to product requirements.
- Geolocation data are collected.
- Biometric or health data are collected.
- Interactions, behaviors, or usage analytics data are collected.
- Unclear whether this product collects sensitive data.
- Data is automatically collected.
- Opt-in consent is requested from users at the time personal information is collected.
- Personal information of users is collected by a third party.
Data Sharing
SCORE: 90%
What data does it share?
- Collected information is shared with third parties.
- The categories of information shared with third parties are indicated.
- The purpose for sharing a user's personal information with third parties is indicated.
- The categories of third parties that receive data are indicated.
- Data are shared for analytics.
- Data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
- Third-party services are used to support the product.
- The roles of third-party service providers are indicated.
- Third-party login is supported.
- Contractual limits are placed on third-party data use.
Data Security
SCORE: 20%
How does it secure data?
- Unclear whether a user's identity is verified with additional personal information.
- Account creation is required.
- Unclear whether managed accounts are available.
- Unclear whether multi-factor account protection is available.
- Unclear whether third-parties with access to information are required to provide the same security protections as the company.
- Reasonable security practices are used to protect data.
- Unclear whether this product limits employee or physical access to user information.
- Unclear whether this product encrypts all data in transit.
- Unclear whether all data are stored in an encrypted format.
- Unclear whether this product provides notice in the event of a data breach.
Data Rights
SCORE: 35%
What rights do I have to the data?
- Users can create or upload content.
- Users retain ownership of their data.
- Processes to access or review user data are available.
- Unclear whether this product provides processes to modify data for authorized users.
- Unclear whether the product provides a data-retention policy.
- Processes for authorized users to delete data are available.
- Unclear whether a user's data are deleted upon account cancellation or termination.
- Unclear whether this product deletes data when no longer necessary.
- Unclear whether methods are available to restrict who has access to data.
- Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to download their data.
Data Sold
SCORE: 30%
Is the data sold?
- Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
- Users can opt out from the disclosure or sale of their data to a third party.
- User information can be transferred to a third party in the event of a merge, acquisition, or bankruptcy.
- Unclear whether users are notified if their information is transferred to a third party.
- Unclear whether user information can be deleted prior to its transfer to a third party.
- Unclear whether third-party transfers are contractually required to use the same privacy practices.
- Unclear whether user information that is shared is shared in an anonymous or de-identified format.
- Unclear whether the company describes their de-identification process of user information.
- Data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
- Unclear whether contractual limits prohibit third parties from reidentifying or de-identified information.
Data Safety
SCORE: 0%
How safe is this product?
- Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users.
- Unclear whether users can interact with untrusted users, including strangers and/or adults.
- Unclear whether profile information must be shared for social interactions.
- Unclear whether personal information can be displayed publicly.
- Unclear whether this product allows users to control how their data are displayed to others.
- Unclear whether user-created content is reviewed, screened, or monitored by the company.
- Unclear whether user-created content is filtered for personal information before being made publicly visible.
- Unclear whether social interactions between users are moderated.
- Unclear whether social interactions of users are logged.
- Unclear whether users can report abuse or cyberbullying.
Ads & Tracking
SCORE: 40%
Are there advertisements or tracking?
- Unclear whether personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
- Traditional or contextual advertisements are displayed.
- Personalised advertising is displayed.
- Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
- User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.
- The company can send marketing messages.
- Unclear whether this company provides promotional sweepstakes, contests, or surveys.
- Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to opt-out of contextual, or personalised advertising.
- Users can opt out or unsubscribe from marketing communications.
Parental Consent
SCORE: 40%
Can I provide parental consent?
- Not intended for children under 13.
- Personal information from children under 13 years of age is not collected.
- Unclear whether intended for parents or guardians.
- Company does not have actual knowledge that personal information from users under 13 years of age is collected.
- The company does provide a section, heading, or separate policy for children in their policies.
- Unclear whether parental consent is required before personal information is collected or disclosed.
- Unclear whether this product limits parental consent with respect to third parties.
- Unclear whether this product allows parents to withdraw consent for the further collection of their child's information.
- Unclear whether this product deletes children's personal information if collected without parental consent.
- Unclear whether this product provides parental consent notice and method for submission.
School Purpose
SCORE: 0%
Is the product intended for school?
- Unclear whether intended for students.
- Unclear whether personal information or education records are collected from preK-12 students.
- Unclear whether intended for teachers.
- Unclear whether this product is primarily used by, designed for, and marketed toward students in grades preK–12.
- Processes to enter education records into the product are not described.
- Unclear whether additional rights or protections may be provided with an additional school contract.
- Unclear whether the company is designated as a school official.
- Unclear whether this product transfers parental consent obligations to the school or district.
Individual Control
SCORE: 55%
Can I control the use of my data?
- Users can control the use of their information through privacy settings.
- Unclear whether use of information is limited to the purpose for which it was collected.
- The context or purpose for which data are collected is indicated.
- Unclear whether company may combine data with additional data from third-party sources.
- Unclear whether this product treats combined information as personally identifiable information (PII).
- Notice is provided if the context in which data are collected changes.
- Consent is obtained if the practices in which data are collected change.
- A grievance or remedy mechanism is not available for users to file a complaint.
- Users can request to know what personal information has been shared with third parties.
- Unclear whether notice is provided in the event the company receives a government or legal request for a user's information.
Common Sense Standard Privacy Report (SPR)
The standard privacy report (SPR) displays all the privacy practices from a product's policies in a single, easy-to-read outline. The report shows a green check mark for better privacy practices and an orange alert for risky or unclear practices. This alert indicates that more time should be focused on these particular details prior to use.
About Privacy Evaluations
The privacy evaluations have been designed with the help and support of a consortium of schools and districts across the United States. These evaluations are designed to help educators make informed decisions about the potential privacy implications of educational technology used to support teaching and learning.
Our core evaluation criteria will always be freely available. People are encouraged to read the questions we use and our information security primer. Vendors are encouraged to use our questions and the information security primer to self-evaluate. You can also learn more about our evaluation process. Please be in touch with any questions or feedback.