Ring's latest encryption aims to address concerns about surveillance without eliminating any smart functionalities.

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      Ring's TAKE encryption provides enhanced control over who can view your camera footage.

      Ring has introduced TAKE, which stands for Throw Away the Key Encryption, as part of a privacy overhaul. This new encryption feature will default on all cameras beginning in September.

      This move comes in response to criticism, including negative feedback about a Super Bowl advertisement for a lost dog feature and its complicated relationship with law enforcement. TAKE aims to secure your footage while preserving the smart features you purchased the cameras for.

      How TAKE secures your videos

      With TAKE, your videos are encrypted using rotating keys that change every few minutes. A temporary copy is stored in a secure cloud environment, allowing Ring to unlock it briefly for certain activated features, such as video search or smart alerts. Once that access is done, the key is permanently deleted, leaving you as the sole holder of access.

      Ring states that TAKE draws inspiration from end-to-end encryption (E2EE) but operates differently. In true E2EE, Ring doesn’t have access to your keys at all, whereas with TAKE, Ring briefly accesses them during video processing.

      If you have Shared Users on your account, they will also receive a copy of the master key. Newer camera models allow users to toggle between TAKE and E2EE, but older models are limited to TAKE because their encryption occurs at the cloud level rather than on the device itself.

      What happens if the police request your footage?

      According to Ring, it can now only provide basic subscriber information and encrypted video files in response to legal requests from law enforcement, rather than viewing footage. However, TAKE does not offer complete E2EE, as Ring retains your keys for up to 24 hours and can request them again when accessing older clips.

      Without a Ring subscription, these features do not apply, although a Ring security hub utilizing a microSD card allows for local storage. If you lose your device, Ring presents several recovery methods including cloud backup, a passphrase, a passkey, an authorized device, or camera-based recovery.

      For those seeking the strongest encryption, E2EE remains an option, but it disables most cloud functionalities. For everyone else, TAKE is included at no additional cost with any Ring subscription, subtly changing your control over your own front door.

      Manisha Priyadarshini is a tech and entertainment writer with over nine years of editorial experience.

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