Video Doorbells and Indoor Cameras: Privacy Considerations

Cameras collect more than you intend

A camera at your front door or in your living room records people, and a lot of what it captures is not about you. Delivery workers, neighbors, children playing on the street, guests and family members all pass through its view. Some models also record audio, which is often treated differently under the law than video. Thinking about those other people is the heart of responsible camera use.

This article gives general information only, not legal advice. Rules on recording differ widely between countries, states and even housing types.

Doorbell cameras versus indoor cameras

The two types raise different concerns.

Video doorbells face a shared or public space. They may capture the street, a neighbor’s door or a walkway, and every visitor to your home is recorded. In many places, recording public areas from your own property is generally treated more leniently than recording inside someone’s private space, but audio, long-range views of neighbors’ windows and sharing footage can still cause problems.

Indoor cameras capture the private lives of people who live in or visit your home. These raise questions of consent and dignity far more sharply. Cameras in bedrooms, bathrooms and other intimate spaces are widely considered inappropriate, and recording someone there without their knowledge may be unlawful in many places.

Consent and disclosure

• Household members. Adults who live in your home should know about, and ideally agree to, any camera in shared areas. Teenagers deserve a say too.
• Guests. Many people consider it courteous to mention indoor cameras to visitors, and in some places it may be required, especially for audio. Turning cameras off or covering them when guests stay is a simple courtesy.
• Caregivers and workers. If you employ someone such as a nanny or cleaner, rules about notifying them can be specific. Check your local rules.
• Neighbors. Pointing a camera so that it looks into a neighbor’s windows or yard is a common source of disputes. Many devices allow privacy zones that black out parts of the frame.
• Signs. A visible notice at the door is a reasonable step that also helps the camera serve as a deterrent.

Audio recording

Some regions require the consent of the people being recorded for audio, even when video is allowed. If you do not need sound, turning the microphone off is the simplest way to reduce risk. If you do use it, understand the rules where you live.

Where the footage goes

Footage can be stored in different ways, and each has trade-offs.

• Local storage on a memory card or a home storage device keeps recordings inside your home. It tends to give you more control, but the footage can be stolen along with the camera or lost to a hardware fault.
• Cloud storage puts recordings on the company’s servers. It is convenient and protects against theft of the camera, but you rely on the company’s security and policies, and often pay a subscription.
• Hybrid options keep recent footage locally and send clips to the cloud when triggered.

Ask these questions before buying:

1. Where are recordings kept, and for how long?
2. Is video encrypted in transit and while stored, and can I use end-to-end options? The idea is covered in the article on everyday encryption.
3. Can I delete recordings permanently, and does the company confirm it?
4. Who at the company can view footage, and under what circumstances?
5. How does the company respond to requests for footage from authorities or others?
6. Can I use the camera without a subscription, or with limited cloud features?
7. Can I download my footage if I stop using the service?

A local network storage setup, such as the one described in the article on home storage, may be a good fit if you want to keep footage off outside servers. Remember to keep copies of anything important with sensible data backup habits.

Sharing footage

Sharing a clip with neighbors or posting it online can expose the people in it. Think before sharing, especially images of children or identifiable people who have done nothing wrong. Some doorbell services have social features that let users share clips with nearby households. If you use these, check whether you can limit what is shared. Clips can also be misleading out of context, a concern that grows as deepfakes become easier to make.

Protect the account and the device

A camera is only private if no one else can view it.

• Use a unique, strong password, ideally with a password manager, and turn on two-factor authentication.
• Change default settings and remove old users, including former partners and housemates.
• Keep firmware current; see the guide on software updates.
• Secure your router and network with the steps in the guide to home network security.
• Review the list of devices and people with access every few months.
• Be cautious about phishing messages that imitate camera services, a risk discussed in the article on phishing messages.

No setup is perfectly secure, and incidents of unauthorized access to home cameras have happened. If you are not comfortable with the risks, a less intrusive alternative, such as a door sensor, may do the job.

Placement and minimizing what you record

• Aim cameras at your own entrance or yard, not at neighbors’ property or the street.
• Use privacy zones and set motion detection to relevant areas.
• Place indoor cameras only where necessary, and consider turning them off when you are home.
• Prefer cameras with a physical shutter or an easily accessible off switch.
• Set short retention periods so footage you do not need is deleted automatically.
• If you have a cleaner or visitors, switch indoor cameras off in advance.

Cameras and children

Cameras in rooms where children sleep or play are a common choice, but they also create footage of minors. Keep access tightly limited, and think about how children will feel as they grow. The ideas in the article on parental controls complement this, and so do conversations about being watched. Talking openly with older children about why cameras exist is usually better than hiding them.

A balanced view

Cameras can deter some crimes and give peace of mind, but they also create records that can be hacked, subpoenaed, leaked or misused. The goal is to record only what you need, tell the people affected, and protect what you store. For how cameras fit alongside sensors and monitoring, read the guide to home security systems, and for the wider picture of devices that collect data, see the discussion of the connected home.