Ring introduces TAKE encryption to strengthen default privacy controls

TAKE protects Ring videos with unique, rotating encryption keys. A copy of these keys is sent to a secure enclave within the cloud, where they are used only to activate the smart home features a user has enabled, and then deleted immediately. Customers can still access their footage through enrolled devices and share videos with trusted users. Ring, the company, does not have prolonged access to the videos, a design the company compares to a house-key maker not keeping a copy of the lock's key.

Ring already offers full end-to-end encryption, which cuts the company out entirely, but that approach can limit many smart home features. The new default system is meant to offer a balance between privacy and functionality.

The announcement comes after years of privacy criticism for Ring. According to Engadget, police previously could request footage from Ring users without public disclosure and even without the permission of the camera owner. That feature ended in 2024. Ring later partnered with surveillance firm Flock on a similar program that would let users share footage with police upon request, but that integration never reached the public and was officially canceled, a move widely seen as a response to backlash.

Ring also faced controversy over a Super Bowl ad for a feature called Search Party, which uses connected Ring cameras to find missing pets. Critics noted the technology could be used to track people as well. Additionally, the company's Familiar Faces feature, which uses facial recognition to identify visitors, remains active despite an ongoing lawsuit. The combination of Search Party's camera network and Familiar Faces' identification capability has raised concerns among privacy advocates.

Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff recently said he could "now see a future where we are able to zero out crime in neighborhoods," a statement that has done little to allay fears about the company's surveillance-minded approach.