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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:
nanodyne · 09/10/2023 15:21

I find it really bizarre and a bit intrusive that everyone seems to have these doorbells now, it would make me really uncomfortable if my neighbours had one. It's not like they actually deter crime (if that's what they're for) - our local community group is flooded with paranoid blurry posts of people WITH HOODS UP walking in the vague vicinity of their homes, it's nuts! The constant notifications from other peoples' phones are also very annoying if they happen to live somewhere vaguely busy.

tattygrl · 09/10/2023 15:40

I hate these ring doorbell things. I feel quite the same as you, OP. I don't want someone in my immediate vicinity, who I don't know, having recordings of my leaving and arriving at my home, every time, accessible whenever they wish. I'm not a paranoid person but it is a common and sound principle of personal safety that strangers shouldn't know your comings and goings from your home, and whether you're alone or not.

CharlotteBog · 09/10/2023 15:42

I think my next door neighbour's ring doorbell will see my arse every time I lean into the backseat of my car to get my bags as I park my car right outside our houses.

I don't think he's doing anything wrong though, it's just that my car is positioned near to where someone would stand if they approach their door.

IShouldNotBeSurprised · 09/10/2023 15:48

I totally understand, OP. Our neighbor has them on the front and back of her house. The parameters are set so that they can see our driveway, too (which is on the opposite side from their house) and she'll comment on our comings and goings, when our grown kids visit, etc.

The one in the back sees most of our backyard, she asked my husband one day if he saw the raccoon that crossed our yard and if he knew where it went. She'll comment on our family parties back there and when the grandkids visit. I hate it, and can't help but think of it every time I'm out enjoying my patio. I hate having my picture taken as it is, so feeling watched all the time is terrible.

AuroraForever · 09/10/2023 15:50

It might be worth just asking them about it? It might not be recording anything. Generally it’s not for nosey neighbour spying, it’s for protecting the person/persons behind the door on which it is installed.

Spinet · 09/10/2023 15:55

I don't think YABU OP. I don't know why we're suddenly supposed to be all right with this at all times. It's not that I want to do anything 'wrong' (although lockdown taught me very ordinary things can suddenly become 'wrong') I just like feeling like I have a private life!

Maybe you could get some hilarious masks to give them a fright every time you walk past their house. I'm sure they wouldn't mind.

Bertiesmum3 · 09/10/2023 15:56

Mine has 15 seconds delay so by the time someone has walked past it starts to record

AlwaysFoldingWashing · 09/10/2023 16:00

We also have a ring doorbell that CAN record but we don't have it set up for that. We just wanted it as a deterrent to some anti social behaviour which actually benefits our neighbours too. We asked permission from them all first and they were all in agreement. You could ask about it recording if it puts your mind at ease?

Redditchcycler · 09/10/2023 16:02

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.

Google started view is now in Germany. Started this year

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 09/10/2023 16:03

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.

This is an excellent point

Trickedbyadoughnut · 09/10/2023 16:08

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.

Yes, I was going to say exactly this! And as I've been in France a number of years, I feel quite weird about the idea of being filmed in this situation.

Notanotherhousepost · 09/10/2023 16:16

You can get street view in germany - whoever said it was banned is talking crap.

Missingmyusername · 09/10/2023 16:18

“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.” Nothing you could do about that either. I wouldn’t like particularly like it by the way! I’m not sure there’s anything you can do though.

Honeybee798 · 09/10/2023 16:19

I couldn’t waste the energy or headspace on being bothered about this. CCTV and cameras are everywhere. I welcome them; they could provide crucial evidence if a crime was committed, for example, and they offer protection.

weirdoboelady · 09/10/2023 16:28

I think you are looking at this the wrong way. They know your comings and goings anyway (unless your sound insulation is MUCH better than ours!). It may well be useful to YOU to know who is walking past their place to get to yours - an added level of security for you.

RattlewhenIwalk · 09/10/2023 16:32

As a mobility impaired person I have Ring. We got it when DH worked away after the police caved in the neighbour's front door at 2am and scared the shit out of me in the process.

I also use it to speak to delivery drivers when I can't get to the door quick enough.

I see where you're coming from but really I've got better things to do with my time than virtually curtain twitch.

Malarandras · 09/10/2023 16:46

Whatever country you are in, assuming g you are in the EU, will have some sort of information regulator like the UK has the Information Commissioner. Look on their website and they should have guidance regarding your rights in this situation.

ISeeTheLight · 09/10/2023 17:04

YANBU. DH works in cyber security and is completely against these ring doorbells as they are very easily hacked (and we also don't have alexa or google echo for the same reason).

ClaudiaWankleman · 09/10/2023 17:11

ISeeTheLight · 09/10/2023 17:04

YANBU. DH works in cyber security and is completely against these ring doorbells as they are very easily hacked (and we also don't have alexa or google echo for the same reason).

Who is hacking them and what do they achieve by doing so? I've not heard of this before.

ISeeTheLight · 09/10/2023 17:19

ClaudiaWankleman · 09/10/2023 17:11

Who is hacking them and what do they achieve by doing so? I've not heard of this before.

Show quote history

Criminals. Obviously. To steal stuff or because they benefit from it in some way.
E.g. to override footage when breaking & entering. Or to stalk people. Or to access your online data (credit card info and so on). Etc.
Google it. There's plenty of articles out there.

E.g.
https://veepn.com/blog/ring-doorbell-hacked/#:~:text=Can%20Ring%20be%20hacked%3F,a%20Ring%20doorbell%20or%20camera.

https://nordvpn.com/blog/ring-doorbell-hack/

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/smart-video-doorbells/article/video-doorbell-security-how-to-stop-your-smart-doorbell-from-being-hacked-aCklb4Y4rZnw

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/amazon-ring-hacked-ransomware

SaulHudsonDavidJones · 09/10/2023 17:28

I'm with you op, no one should be able to record your comings and goings. In fact, it's safer if people aren't aware of your routine. Imagine the neighbour was ill intentioned and knew your routine so well he could hide somewhere nearby knowing you'll be home soon. I'm not sure what the answer is as I don't see them getting rid of it.

RedGreenBlueSky · 09/10/2023 17:32

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.

^I agree with this.

I think it definitely feels different to be recorded by someone who knows who you are than by the many CCTV cameras when I'm out and about - anyone reviewing footage from those are unlikely to know me. Recording your own property up to boundary - fine, but private citizens regularly recording areas outside that every time you are walking to your door, that definitely would make me uncomfortable. It doesn't matter if the vast majority of people recording won't look or don't care what you are up to.

ActDottie · 09/10/2023 17:33

I think given it’s in an apartment block I’d be annoyed too. It’s not really needed.

topnoddy · 09/10/2023 17:35

Get a load of cheap fancy dress costumes and wear those when you walk past sometimes , don't forget to wave at the camera though

DaisyDreaming · 09/10/2023 17:40

Our ring doorbell we pay extra for it to record and store, other wise it just did it live. It does catch our neighbour sometimes and theirs probably catches ours. We changed the distance on ours as it was catching people on the pavement (not a flat) and we only wanted our front door. I can see why you feel uncomfortable but can see why your neighbour wants their doorbell too