When a thief emptied my mailbox a few years ago, I scoured the neighborhood social network Nextdoor to see if it was part of a trend. My feed was full of video-doorbell footage, mostly of package pirates and wild parrots (yes, wild parrots…in San Francisco). I realized then just how many devices were likely recording my daily walk up and down the street.
Home surveillance cameras—from Ring, Nest, Arlo and others—are the eyes and ears of many neighborhoods. Around 14% of U.S. households with broadband have installed an internet-connected camera, according to research firm Parks Associates. Their popularity has drawn the attention of law enforcement (not to mention hackers), which raises new issues for people looking to set one up.