In 2023, 20% of American households had video doorbells, a substantial increase from 4% in 2017. While doorbell camera devices provide security against potential intruders, they have downsides.
Here are ‘x’ reasons why you should consider not installing it in your home.
Security and Regulatory Flaws
A doorbell camera is designed to keep you and your home safe, but that may not be true. According to Consumer Reports, video doorbells sold by major retailers have security flaws. Many brands selling the devices apparently share a common manufacturer and mobile app, which causes them to have the same security vulnerabilities.
A few of them are also illegal to distribute in the U.S. because they lack visible IDs, a mandatory regulation required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Cybersecurity Risks
Consumer Reports also states that doorbell cameras with security issues could allow a dangerous person to gain control of the target’s home and misuse it for malicious purposes. These doorbells can expose your home’s IP address and WiFi network online without encryption, making you susceptible to the dark web.
The Xfinity Cyber Health Report says the number of cyberattacks in connected homes is increasing. Americans underestimate the risk of cyber threats for doorbells, one emerging device.
Data Ownership and Usage
A survey by insurance comparison website Zebra reveals that Amazon sells the data collected from its doorbell camera ‘Ring’ to third parties such as Facebook, Google-owned Crashlytics, AppsFlyer, Branch, and MixPanel. Many other brands could be following the suit.
Unfortunately, most Americans are clueless about data ownership and usage of doorbell cameras. The survey also found that 87% of Americans are unaware of how their doorbell camera data is used. 93% of Americans wouldn’t buy this device if it carried privacy risks.
Access to Law Enforcement Authorities
If you install a video camera at the door, law enforcement agencies could knock on your door to provide data access. You can get entangled in police or legal cases despite zero involvement.
The local police asked a business owner in Ohio to provide footage from his doorbell cameras for a drug-related investigation of a neighbor. The device company, via a warrant from a local judge, also informed him to share all footage.
A Consumer Reports survey shows that 10% of doorbell camera owners shared video footage with law enforcement in 2021, while 12% didn’t but had a reason to do so.
Privacy Violation of Neighbors
The doorbell camera records your neighbors and their activities without their consent, which is a privacy infringement. According to the Home Security System Beliefs and Practices Survey, 32% of security camera users monitor their neighborhood. Hence, your neighbors may not like a video camera facing their home or community street.
Your neighbor may seek civil litigation for privacy harassment.
False Alerts
There have been incidents when people have called 911 or the police because they saw suspicious activities outside their homes through their doorbell cameras. However, their doubts turned out to be false alarms.
False alarms from video cameras at the door can inundate police or public helplines with unnecessary overreporting of non-criminal activities. The police and helplines could waste their precious resources, which could otherwise have been diverted to more serious matters.
Costly Installation and Upkeep
Installing a smart doorbell with a camera can cost $150-$650. You would also need to pay around $50-$250 for material expenses. If you want to subscribe to video saving, sharing, and 24/7 monitoring, you need to shell out $3-$40 per month. The repair and replacement costs are additional. Installation may also cause property damage to your door or wall, which home insurance may not cover.
Some doorbell camera models require battery charging, which is a maintenance hassle. You must detach the device from the door or wall with a special screwdriver and re-fit it after charging. If the device is solar compatible, you must buy solar panels.
Risk of Theft
You installed a video camera to prevent burglaries, but the irony is that thieves are targeting it for theft. For example, the Baltimore Police Department received 27 reports of video doorbell thefts between September 2020 and October 2022. Sharon Hill in Pennsylvania also witnessed a series of doorbell camera thefts in July 2024.
WiFi Issues
Video doorbells operate on WiFi, which creates two problems. Firstly, if the internet connectivity is poor, it can interfere with the doorbell’s performance, such as poor video quality or a delay in streaming the feed. The doorbell can also go offline and may not record until it is up and running again.
Secondly, video doorbells eat up a good chunk of internet bandwidth. Your WiFi may slow down, adversely impacting other internet devices.
Notification Deluge
The doorbell camera is designed to pick up even the slightest motion, such as a dog walking by or a ball landing on your porch. It sends notifications to your phone every time it senses activity. Your phone can buzz with continuous notifications and video feeds.
It could be both irritating and distracting. While you can manage notifications in settings, they can still cause trouble.
Restricted Security
Doorbell cameras capture only a certain perimeter where it is installed. Unless you install security cameras in different places to secure all possible blind spots, intelligent doorbells are not entirely reliable for deterring burglaries or other criminal activities.