Seattle Real Estate News

Ethics for home security camera

Ring video doorbells, Nest Hello and other connected security cameras are the fastest-

growing home improvement gadgets since garage door openers. These cameras alert your phone when someone is at your door and save footage online. Here are some tips from lawyers and city officials to make an ethical field guide for people who want technology to help us stay safe.

Don't point your camera at neighbors. If your doorbell is located in an awkward place, you can try to use wedges to angle the camera toward your door. Some cameras let you mark zones to limit recording only to action that's important for your home. Also let people know that they're on camera and put up a sign to flag that you're filming might also deter a burglar.
Share footage sparingly. Some people love posting clips of "suspicious/looking characters" on social network app. But are you actually an expert in what counts as "suspicious"? Sharing on these sites can help fight crime but also perpetuate racial profiling of actual crimes.
When police get involved, it should be voluntary. Police should only access to your footage on a voluntary basis. Law enforcement doesn't have aright to the footage without a court order.
Delete old footage. The more you have the more vulnerable you are. You should only keep your footage for two months. You can always download and save the ones you want to keep.
Keeping hackers out is a serious responsibility. Make sure that you update software, using unique passwords and taking other security protections.
Facial recognition is not a product feature, it's a super power. The ability to keep tabs on a person's whereabouts by reading their face is a super power that we don't have yet the legal or ethical framework to handle. Initially, our cameras will offer to flag family members faces. Next, they'll link to a few public databases such as a terrorist watch list, missing kinds and sexual offenders The real question is who gets to make those lists and how accurate are the systems flagging people?

Posted in:first-time homebuyers, home security and tagged: first-time homebuyers homesecurity

Posted by Sam Kader on January 8th, 2023 7:38 PM

Seattle Real Estate News

Ethics for home security camera

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