Ring's new default encryption aims to keep police out of your video feed
Ring is introducing a new encryption scheme called TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption) that will become the default for all customers starting in September, whether or not they pay for a subscription. Unlike full end-to-end encryption, TAKE doesn't lock Amazon out of your video entirely — it still needs some access to power features like AI-based person and package detection, smart search, and automatic video descriptions. Instead, it restricts when and why Ring's cloud systems can decrypt footage, theoretically making it harder to hand over recordings to law enforcement on request.
The move comes after a rough stretch for Ring, which has faced repeated criticism over data-sharing practices, police partnerships, and privacy lapses involving employee access to customer video.