Ring camera and doorbell products often come with a bunch of warning decals. But is it really necessary for the company to stick these stickers on their cameras and doorbells? Well, the answer depends on one’s country as some countries require them whereas others don’t necessarily do.
It’s also true that some customers don’t like them, arguing that it tells burglars exactly what type of home surveillance camera system one is using. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Fair enough, let’s discuss this issue and topic further in this article.
Whether Or Not To Put Up Your Ring Warning Stickers
If you live in a country where it’s mandatory to put up CCTV camera warnings, you have no choice but to display your Ring warning decals. Countries that mandatorily require these warning signs include France, the UK, France, China, and Japan.
On the contrary, if you live in a country where it’s not mandatory to do the above such as Germany, you have a choice to either or not put up your Ring warning stickers. It’s all up to you. But here are some good reasons you should and shouldn’t display your decals:
1. It Deters Would-Be Burglars
There’s no denying the fact that a CCTV camera warning sign like that of a Ring camera or doorbell act as a huge deterrent to potential home intruders and burglars. After all, it shows the bad guy that you have some anti-burglary or home intrusion measures in place. This can make the person change their mind about breaking into your home, especially when you are away.
Please note that a good number of burglaries are unplanned. It’s normally a cowardly thief checking doors in homes whose owners seem to be away. Believe it or not, seeing your Ring camera warning sign alone might scare them off your property.
2. It Assures Your Visitors and Other Folks Of Safety
Putting up Ring warning signs, for many people let alone criminals, can be a sign that you’ve put some security measures in place by installing a Ring camera or video doorbell. If it’s your visitors or other folks, it feels so reassuring for them, knowing that they are protected by your smart home device. This gives them peace of mind, knowing that they are free from danger and the risks criminals pose.
3. Just To Be On the Safe Side
As said earlier, some countries require CCTV camera users to warn members of the public that they are recording them. This is especially true for business premises that have surveillance cameras for security purposes. But this policy also applies to homeowners with camera systems that capture video footage of areas not only within their properties but also those within public spaces, in some countries.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know whether your country makes it mandatory for homeowners to put up CCTV camera warning signs or not. As such it’s better to display your Ring warning signs and be on the safe side than to not and maybe risk legal consequences.
Why You Shouldn’t Display Your Ring Warning Signs
1. It Tells Criminals Exactly What Home Surveillance Camera System You Have In Place
Believe it or not, displaying your Ring warning signs can be a security flaw. How’s that? Well, it reveals to criminals the smart home camera system you have in place. Now, there might be a recently-discovered security flaw in your camera model, in general.
When burglars see that you operate that particular camera model to protect your property, they may end up targeting your home. After all, they’ll know that your smart home’s security system has a loophole they can easily circumvent.
Matter of fact, a group of smart homeowners sued Ring in 2020 over the company’s end-to-end encryption for security protection, which they claimed enabled hackers to control their smart cameras. Following that class-action lawsuit, many people including criminals realized that even Ring devices are not 100% immune from hackers.
Even though the company has since improved and expanded its software to cover more of its devices, concerns remain. So, by displaying a Ring camera warning sign, you are essentially revealing to criminals the exact kind of security system you are using to protect your home. Some criminals may be smart enough to know that it’s not 100% hackproof, you never know!
2. It Makes Your Smart Home’s Security Setup Vulnerable
Let’s face it, your Ring smart camera is an electronic device. That means it’s susceptible to certain events or conditions capable of destroying an electronic device. For example, a vile individual may decide to prove that your Ring warnings don’t scare them at all. All while standing at a far distance where the smart camera can’t capture them, they can do that by hitting it hard with a stone and destroying it instantly.
3. That’s Giving Ring Free Advertising
When you put up your warning signs that show people that you are using a camera or doorbell system from Ring, some of your neighbors and friends who see them may admire your smart home CCTV surveillance system. Subsequently, they may decide to have the same in their properties.
At the end of the day, you shall have promoted Ring, which won’t even thank you, let alone pay you. It’s just not worth it, is it?
4. It Discourages People from Visiting You
How do you always feel when you are in a building filled with CCTV cameras? At least many people experience an increased sense of anxiety as they know that they are constantly being watched and there’s no privacy around them.
Please note that your visitors want privacy just like you or anybody else does. When they see your Ring camera warning signs, it tells them that there’s limited privacy in your home, which can be an issue for many.
Final Thoughts
When you purchase a Ring camera, doorbell, or alarm system, your package will come with a set of warning stickers and signs labeled “Ring.” The company requires you to put up these stickers and signs on your main door and windows where people can see them. This is important to let people know that your home is safeguarded by Ring smart devices. But should you display these warning stickers and signs or that’s something only people with the Show-Off syndrome do? To find the answer, go back to the pros and cons of displaying CCTV warning stickers and signs, discussed above.
FAQs
1. How many warning stickers do Ring products come with?
Answer: Ring products come with a set of warning stickers and signs, which you can put up in different areas of your house.
2. Where do I put up my Ring stickers?
Answer: You should stick your ring stickers on your front door and on your windows where people can see them.
3. Should I display my Ring stickers and signs from inside the house or externally?
Answer: The answer depends on where you want to put up your warning sign(s). If it’s the front door, you’ll need to stick it from the outside. As for the windows, you can display your stickers from the inside as people will still be able to see them.
