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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

New neighbour ring doorbell

57 replies

Freesiabritney · 09/10/2023 13:58

Not sure if I'm being UR regarding my new neighbours ring doorbell.

I live in a small European city where it's mostly apartment living, for context we live in a very quiet residential area, very little noise, crime, anything really.

New neighbour has moved into our apartment building (building has a security intercom system) and has installed a video recording ring doorbell on her door. However ours is the only apartment that needs to directly walk past it to access our home. It lights up blue that it's filming us every time we walk by. We can only access our door by walking past the ring doorbell, so it's essentially recording our every coming and going. Obviously we have nothing to hide but AIBU to feel uncomfortable at ONLY my families every move being recorded? I don't know why I feel uncomfortable but it just gives me a weird feeling.

OP posts:
Torganer · 09/10/2023 14:00

I’m not really sure what the issue is? Do you think they’re looking to steal from you and want to keep tabs on when you go out? Unless you’re walking past naked, I’m not sure how it makes a difference?

2PintsOfCidernaBagofCrisps · 09/10/2023 14:02

It will almost certainly not have been installed to watch your comings & goings but instead installed for times when deliveries are coming, to ensure there are no people wandering about in the evenings that shouldn't be, to check who is at the door before they answer it when they are home etc.

I have a ring door bell that captures my neighbours because they've suddenly taken to using their back door for everything but when I check the notification and see it's them, I just clear it. I have no interest in them.

muddyford · 09/10/2023 14:02

Crawl past? Paper bag over head?

ClaudiaWankleman · 09/10/2023 14:03

On the other hand, it is protecting your property as well as your neighbour's. If you ever have reason to report something to the police, there will be video evidence of whoever accessed your front door.

Warum · 09/10/2023 14:03

I'd hate this too OP, it feels like an invasion of privacy - I'd be tempted to walk past with different disguises on though, funny fancy dress, doing funny walks, speaking in different languages and so on......

Rollercoaster1920 · 09/10/2023 14:04

If in Germany it'd be illegal IIRC. Germany banned Google street view at Federal law level. You need to check with local laws and block management.

Original poster
Freesiabritney · 09/10/2023 14:05

That's what I don't know, I just feel weird every time I walk along the corridor and it lights up. I think it's because it's only us it records, no-one else in the building is recorded by it, like cctv etc for instance everyone is recorded but this is only my family. I don't think they're going to steal from us but I don't want them to have a recording of everytime we come and go.

It's like if some one was staring out the window at you everytime you walked by or opened the door and watched you everytime you leave your house.

OP posts:
MuggleMe · 09/10/2023 14:06

Does it definitely record? Or is it just a sensor that's activated but keeping no record? How's your relationship with the neighbour?

Original poster
Freesiabritney · 09/10/2023 14:08

Rollercoaster1920 · 09/10/2023 14:04

If in Germany it'd be illegal IIRC. Germany banned Google street view at Federal law level. You need to check with local laws and block management.

We're not in Germany but I do get the feeling it may also be illegal here as its recording a shared space with no permission. I was thinking of raising with building manager but don't want to create unnecessary drama with new neighbour.

OP posts:
Original poster
Freesiabritney · 09/10/2023 14:09

MuggleMe · 09/10/2023 14:06

Does it definitely record? Or is it just a sensor that's activated but keeping no record? How's your relationship with the neighbour?

I looked up the ring website and the model definitely records, not sure of the settings etc.

No relationship to speak of, they only moved in a month or so ago.

OP posts:
theescapeladder · 09/10/2023 14:17

Gently, you sound a little unreasonable, paranoid even? In the times we are living in, unfortunately our phones are listening to us and our movements are being recorded while out in public, et cetera.
To me that's way worse than what you describe.

It's just a security camera. It's not likely at all that your neighbours are even watching these videos. I have one of those, get tens of notifications a day and only look at the actual video if for instance I need to check if the courier collected my return or something like that. I'm sure your neighbour have installed their camera for practical reasons, not to spy on you 😅

Original poster
Freesiabritney · 09/10/2023 14:28

theescapeladder · 09/10/2023 14:17

Gently, you sound a little unreasonable, paranoid even? In the times we are living in, unfortunately our phones are listening to us and our movements are being recorded while out in public, et cetera.
To me that's way worse than what you describe.

It's just a security camera. It's not likely at all that your neighbours are even watching these videos. I have one of those, get tens of notifications a day and only look at the actual video if for instance I need to check if the courier collected my return or something like that. I'm sure your neighbour have installed their camera for practical reasons, not to spy on you 😅

That's what I was wondering....Aibu because of these reasons....however I consent to sharing data when I use my phone etc. I can see its quite split in the comments so some people do feel the same as me. I think I will ultimately do nothing as I don't think it's worth causing a strained neighbour dynamic but personally I would never record in a shared space without at least obtaining consent.

OP posts:
godlys · 09/10/2023 14:29

I have a ring doorbell and recently my downstairs neighbour installed one too (self-contained flats with our own front doors and driveways). Often my camera’s motion sensor is triggered when my neighbour is out cutting the grass, taking bins out, and reversing out his driveway - I have a quick check of the notification, but once I see it’s only my neighbour, I pay no more attention. My intentions for my camera are checking who’s at my door before answering it (I live alone!) and to keep an eye on my cars. My neighbour uses his camera to watch over his car under a car cover while he works overseas for weeks at a time, and I have no issues with it. It captures me in my dressing gown entering my back garden at 7am to take my dog out to pee, so I’m slightly more self-aware of myself than I was before his camera went up, but honestly, it’s no big deal. It’s extra security for me too, covering the access to my back garden which my camera doesn’t reach.

Please don’t be paranoid!

VainAbigail · 09/10/2023 14:34

If it’s anything like ours, it’ll send a notification to their phone that there’s been motion and they’ll either likely swipe to delete the notification or snooze the notifications, without even looking at the footage, for an hour or something because they don’t want the see their neighbour walking past, just the courier or whoever might be calling by.

GlitteryGreen · 09/10/2023 14:52

I understand OP, we've had very similar.

We live in flats and new neighbours moved in downstairs (ground) and installed a Ring doorbell on their back gate, which only faces our communal carpark. A few residents have been a bit uncomfortable with it as it's not facing the street like other doorbells do and the majority of people passing are us neighbour residents. They are likely just using it as their front entrance instead of the communal front door, but it's still a bit weird to be recorded leaving and entering your own home and for our neighbours to be able to watch back our every move when we're at our cars.

Angryappendix · 09/10/2023 14:55

This happens to lots of people, for example if you live on a terraced house street with no driveways or paths and your neighbour has a ring doorbell you will be recorded.

The fact it only records you is irrelevant.

HiggyHop · 09/10/2023 14:57

Do you realise you're probably being recorded 90% of the time when you're outside your home? By CCTV, security cameras in shops and outside them, speed cameras, Go pros on cars and bicycles, personal cameras on bloggers or security/police, cameras at supermarket tills... I could go on

They have every right to have a ring doorbell to secure their own property.

It may come in handy if you have to pass to get to yours if there is every an incident at your property.

My neighbour asked me to move my security camera so it wasn't pointing at her car. I did. The week after her car was broken into and she knocked on to see if I had any footage 😂

DiDonk · 09/10/2023 15:02

It's certainly the case in France where we live that you can't film any public area, you can do your own house door, but not the street.

I think CCTV has become so normalised in some countries like the US and UK that people forget that it is intrusive and doesn't actually stop you getting burgled either.

lilyblue5 · 09/10/2023 15:06

I don’t like this. We had this on an Air bnb and it made me feel really uncomfortable..

tara66 · 09/10/2023 15:08

I think that is not legal in France.

Woopzies · 09/10/2023 15:11

Are you a secret agent? Why exactly does it matter if they know when you come and go?

Passepartoute · 09/10/2023 15:16

You know you are being recorded several times over as you walk along the average high street?

WaxhamSeals · 09/10/2023 15:19

Gently, you sound a little unreasonable, paranoid even?

it’s the ring doorbell owners who sound a little paranoid, even.
OP states that there is a security intercom for the building entrance, so what on earth do they need to video their front door - within the building - for?

I don’t care if I’m recorded about and about in the city centre. I would strongly object to being recorded going into and out of my own front door.

wonkylegs · 09/10/2023 15:20

Our ring doorbell doesn't record, we only have live notification - we don't pay for the record function.
The blue light can just mean that the motion detector is activated not necessarily that it's recordings. I suspect the only way to know if they are recording is to ask them.
Our set up can only see our property so definitely not a privacy issue even if we did record and we have other cameras on the property that do record but again only within our boundaries- understand that this is more of an issue in the circumstances you describe.
We only use the camera on the ring to answer the door when not in.

DarkWingDuck · 09/10/2023 15:20

I also feel very uncomfortable being recorded by ring cameras OP. It’s not just you and it’s not paranoia. Just because we are being recorded by other means doesn’t mean you can’t feel uncomfortable about even more recording.

They are quite different in that the recording is not subject to any oversight, your neighbours are free to post any footage of you online. I often see this in local neighbourhood Facebook groups. A neighbour of mine once posted a video of a foreign family member we had staying with us, who was waking slowly past their house. They put it as a “helpful warning” to the local community that a “foreign person” was seen suspiciously walking around the estate.

Sadly there’s nothing you can legally do. Please don’t feel you are alone in feeling worried about this.