Ring Camera Alternatives to Avoid the Surveillance State
🎶I always feel like, somebody’s watching me, and I have no privacy🎶
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Now, let’s get into it 😁
Ring (Amazon) and Nest (Google) Cameras are Surveillance Tools
If you haven’t seen Ring’s Super Bowl spot, the entire ad was promoting their “Search Party” feature to find a lost dog through AI-powered identification tools. However, people quickly realized that this same AI-identification technology could be used against everyday people, or anyone deemed “suspicious.” This is especially concerning given Amazon’s relationship with the government - spending $75 million to produce and promote the Melania documentary and directly paying her $28 million, Bezos giving $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, and giving the administration a $1 billion dollar coupon for Amazon Web Services.
On top of all this, in October 2025 Amazon/Ring had announced a partnership with Flock Safety, an AI-powered surveillance technology firm. ICE and law enforcement agencies are using Flock’s license plate data and other information used to target specific people to find immigration raid targets. Amazon/Ring has backpedaled on this partnership and cancelled their agreement with Flock as of February 13th due to the blowback from their Super Bowl ad, but I would not be surprised if it’s quietly revived in the future after the controversy has died down.
Nest is no better - Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped and authorities were able to recover footage from her Google Nest camera even though she did not pay for the subscription to share with the cloud. What this means is - the video footage from her camera was uploaded to Google’s cloud even though she was not paying for cloud services, and law enforcement was able to access it. Although I hope the footage aids in a swift and speedy recovery of Nancy Guthrie, this underscores the *lack* of privacy we have when utilizing these security systems. While her camera footage may help in the investigation, this type of footage could also be used against you if law enforcement is investigating you.
If you’re thinking well, I’m not doing anything wrong, why would they be investigating me? This administration goes after anyone they dislike while ignoring the rule of law - I don’t like to be alarmist, but it’s hard to anticipate when you could be caught in their crosshairs.
All this to say - I believe that if you have a security camera setup in your home, even with some precautions in place, you are opening yourself up to potential surveillance from the companies providing the service, the government, and hackers/scammers. It may be nice to be able to check-in on your home for a multitude of reasons, but if you aren’t using it for true security, it may be time to ditch the cameras entirely.
That being said, if you do need to have a security camera setup in and around your home, I recommend taking these precautions:
Never use cloud storage for your video footage. Always use local storage if possible to minimize any footage being stored on the camera company’s servers.
Do not connect your system to the internet. This may feel necessary if you want to check in while you’re away, but if you connect your system to the internet, it’s likely at least some footage or thumbnails may be stored on the company’s servers even if you have local storage set up (as in the Nancy Guthrie example). Once that footage is in their servers, it’s vulnerable to being viewed by law enforcement or other agencies, and may be stored for months if not years without being deleted. Connecting to the internet also provides a means for hackers, scammers, etc. to gain access to your footage.
Do not connect your security system to third-party apps, like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Connecting to these apps can open your system to potential security issues or potentially have your data/footage viewed by these companies.
Do not use any AI features. If you use AI tools like people-recognition, this means your footage is being scanned and analyzed by AI, which means the camera company likely has access to it in one way or another. This feature can also be abused, as you see with Ring’s “Search Party” feature.
Ring/Nest Alternatives - Most Privacy
Both of these options offer cameras or systems that do not require an internet connection for initial setup or ongoing use and offer local storage.
Reolink: Reolink is held privately, but based on their UK entity the founders Liu Xiaoyu (also known as Colin Lau) and Ai Jun Wang own significant (25-50%) positions. It’s difficult to find a definitive source on this, but Reolink seems to be based out of Hong Kong and Shenzhen China, with offices in the US. Reolink does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy.
Products: Security cameras & systems (doorbell cams, systems, battery-powered, and more)
Privacy: The Reolink NVR systems enable you to use local storage without the internet.
However, in 2022 Cisco Talos found several vulnerabilities in one of Reolink’s Wi-Fi connected security camera models. Cisco Talos informed Reolink of the issue and they issued a software update meant to address these issues in 2022.
Requires subscription? If you get the NVR System you do not have to pay for a subscription. If you want cloud storage, plans start at $6.99 a month. They also offer data plans for specific camera models.
Swann: Owned by Infinova since 2014. Infinova is an American-Chinese publicly traded company in China but majority owned (~63%) by insiders. Infinova and Swann do not have profiles on OpenSecrets nor a clear public diversity policy.
Products: Security camera and systems, including doorbell cams.
Privacy: Their DVR security systems operate through coaxial cables, store data locally, and do not require Wi-Fi. Their NVR security systems also offer local storage, though you will need Wi-Fi for the cameras to connect back to the recorder device.
However, in 2018 Swann shared security footage from someone’s camera with another user, meaning they could see the footage from the wrong camera. After investigating further, they found another security issue that Swann fixed.
Requires subscription? If you get a DVR or NVR system, you do not need a subscription. The Wi-Fi-enabled doorbell cams and other models also do not require a subscription. Otherwise, plans start at $4.99/month.
Ring/Nest Alternatives - Modest Privacy
If you’re not ready to commit to a full local storage internet-free system, these are decent options.
Aosu: Aosu is the only company I researched without a major data breach issue, however you do need to connect the cameras to Wi-Fi initially in order to get them set up, which does not seem to be the case for Reolink NVR or Swann DVR systems.
The Details: Owned by AOSULife since October 2025, and funded through venture capital. AOSULife is headquartered in China, and does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy.
Products: Doorbell cams, indoor & outdoor cameras, & kits.
Privacy: It seems like most if not all of Aosu’s camera models offer local storage through an SD card, though you will need to connect it to Wi-Fi for live viewing and other features.
Requires subscription? If you want to use their cloud storage, plans start at $4.99 a month.
Eufy: Requires an internet connection for initial setup.
The Details: Owned by Anker, covered here.
Products: Security cameras including indoor & outdoor, smart home products (locks, lights, scales), robot vacuums, baby items, and other products.
Privacy: The LocalSecure system enables you to store footage locally on their HomeBase product or an SD card instead of the cloud. You can also check out their security camera models that do not require an internet connection or Wi-Fi.
However - in late 2022, Eufy cameras were found to have unsecure streams of video footage, which the company tried to dodge and deny before finally admitting there was an issue. The New York State Attorney General Letitia James fined three companies that distributed Eufy products $450K for this issue in January 2025. As part of that settlement, the companies have to confirm that Eufy has taken security steps to address these issues. I’m not sure why Letitia James didn’t go after Eufy directly, but hopefully this settlement will keep Eufy’s security measures effective and up-to-date.
Requires subscription? LocalSecure cameras/system does not require a monthly fee or subscription, but allows you to still utilize their AI detection features.
Wyze: Requires an internet connection for the initial setup.
The Details: Privately held and funded through venture capital. Wyze does not have a profile on OpenSecrets. They do not have a public diversity policy, but in their job descriptions they do note that they “value diversity as well as inclusion here at Wyze.”
Products: Security cameras, smart home products, lifestyle products (smart scales, robot vacuum, noise-cancelling headphones)
Privacy: The Doorbell camera, Cam v4, Pan v4, Window Cam all offer local storage. There are also other camera models that do not require Wi-Fi.
However - it’s worth noting that Wyze had a significant security issue in February 2024 where 13,000 users saw footage and thumbnails from other people’s homes. This is on top of a 2019 Wyze data breach where millions of email addresses of customers and people who were granted access to view camera feeds were exposed. CNET is recommending Wyze again as of 2026 after they addressed these issues and went two years without a major security issue.
Requires subscription? If you get one of Wyze’s local storage cameras, you do not need to get a subscription. Otherwise, their cloud-based storage and additional features start at $2.99 a month.
Not Recommended for Insufficient Security Reasons
Zmodo: The one model/system they have with local storage is out of stock, and their doorbell cam models are also out of stock.
The Details: Zmodo was founded by current CEO Dr. Kevin Wan, an American, and is headquartered in China. Zmodo is held privately, it’s unclear if they have investors or not. Zmodo doesn’t have a full diversity policy outlined on their website, but they note in their company policies that they value diversity. Zmodo does not have a profile on OpenSecrets.
Products: Indoor & Outdoor cameras. They have a few doorbell camera models, but they are all out of stock on their website.
Privacy: They have a Zmodo Replay system with local storage, but it is out of stock and still requires to be connected to WiFi for the cameras to transfer their footage to storage.
Requires subscription? Depending on the model you don’t need one, but I find it frustrating that they don’t list the plan tiers or costs on their website.
Not Recommended for Company Ownership, Lobbying, or Other Issues
Ubiquiti: STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY. Ubiquiti products are being utilized by Russia as part of their drone war against Ukraine, as reported by Hunterbrook Media and discussed on Pablo Torre Finds Out.
SimpliSafe: Owned by private equity firm GTCR since 2025.
Blink: Owned by Amazon.
ADT: They partner with Google Nest for their security cameras. ADT is publicly traded, but State Farm owns ~17% and Apollo Management Holdings owns ~13%. Apollo Management is a private equity firm.
Arlo: Publicly traded with institutional investors as their largest shareholders. As of 2024, they supported diversity through employee resource groups based on their ESG report. Arlo spent $240K on lobbying in 2025 on the ROUTERS Act, a bill to conduct a study on cybersecurity risks in modems and routers.
Axis: Axis is a Swedish company, but owned by Canon, which is publicly traded in Japan and is its own largest shareholder at 34%. Canon has spent $250K on lobbying from 2023-2025, most recently on tax issues. Canon supports DEI through policies and initiatives.
Ecobee: Owned by Generac, which is publicly traded with institutional investors as the largest shareholders. Generac has spent $250K on lobbying from 2023-2025. Generac has had their fair share of controversies - they had to pay a $15.8 million dollar penalty in 2023 for failure to immediately report product issues causing finger amputation and crushing hazards, were sued for not paying suppliers in 2023, and is facing a class action lawsuit for marketing their products as reliable backup power, when they actually had a defect that caused them to fail during power outages.
Not Recommended Due to Bans or Lawsuits
Hikvision and Dahua cameras are banned or limited in the US, Canada, UK, and other countries due to national security concerns.
Hikvision: Publicly traded in China, with the Chinese State-Owned Assets Supervision & Admin Commission (SASAC) the largest shareholder at ~42% of shares and Chinese Billionaire investor Gong Hongjia the second-largest at ~11%. The last time they spent money on lobbying was in 2022 at $1.875 million.
Dahua: Publicly traded on the Chinese stock exchange with founder Zhu Jiangming (~7%) and current chairman Fu Liquan (~12%) as the largest shareholders.
Lorex: Owned by Skywatch, a Taiwanese cloud services company. Lorex was sold to Skywatch by Dahua the day before the US ban for Dahua took effect in 2022, and still uses Dahua components in their cameras. Nebraska, Florida, and Texas Attorneys General have filed lawsuits against Lorex for potential spying risks. I don’t really trust these heavily Republican Attorneys General, but did not want to recommend them out of an abundance of caution.
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Looking for an alternative to discord. Would love to see what you'd come up with!
A lot of my customers seem to use eufy. I’ll check it out.