Amazon eyeing up rollout of 'curtain twitching' neighbourhood watch app in UK

31 January 2024 , 20:45

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The Neighbours app lets users get real-time alerts about incidents in their area (Image: Grab)

Amazon's smart doorbell company Ring is considering bringing its footage-sharing app to the UK.

Called Neighbours, it allows users to post video footage from their doorbell cameras and receive real-time alerts about potential incidents in their area. The app is currently only available in America, where it launched in 2018. Liz Hamren, Ring’s chief executive, has now said the app could be rolled out in other countries, with the UK one of the “biggest and most important” markets the company is looking at.

According to Ofcom, some 18% of UK households have a smart doorbell, security cameras or alarm system – up from 5% in 2020. The growth has come as police fail to pursue criminals for cases such as bicycle and vehicle theft. Video doorbells are also used to deter package theft, which has exploded as online shopping grows and fewer people work from home. Doorbell camera footage has also been used to help convict people of serious crimes – such as Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, who murdered Sarah Everard in 2021.

The number of people who own Ring cameras has risen significantly in recent years (Getty Images)

The number of people who are members of their local Neighbourhood Watch – the community organisation designed to keep streets safe – has fallen by half since 2000. But neighbourhood surveillance is taking off in digital form. Smart doorbells, social media groups and sites such as Nextdoor allow people to share news about incidents in their area. But they have also been criticised for encouraging “digital curtain twitching”. Ms Hamren said people are used to surveillance, however, adding: “The reality of the world we live in is that there are lots of cameras.”

Natasha Wynarczyk