The Fulu Foundation is offering a cash reward to anyone who can free Ring cameras from Amazon’s data ecosystem. The goal is not to break into devices to abuse or monitor them.
It’s about giving owners control over devices already installed in their homes without forcing those cameras to constantly send data back to Amazon.
The bounty targets Ring’s video doorbell cameras, which are closely linked to Amazon’s cloud services. Participants are asked to find a way to prevent these devices from sending data to Amazon servers without disabling the cameras themselves.
For many involved, the project is a response to growing unease about how Ring devices can be used beyond simple home security.
The bounty and what hackers should do
The bounty is offered by Fulu, a nonprofit organization focused on privacy. Kevin O’Reilly, co-founder of Fulu, told Wired: “People who install security cameras are looking for more security, not less. Ultimately, control is at the heart of security. If we don’t control our data, we don’t control our devices.”
The challenge will pay at least $10,000, with more promised, to anyone who can modify a Ring camera to work locally, block data sharing to Amazon, and retain features like motion detection and night vision.
The solution must be based on readily available and inexpensive tools, and the steps must be clear enough that a tech-savvy user can make the change in less than an hour. The winner is not obliged to publish his methods.
This could expose them to legal risk under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which restricts circumvention of digital blocks. O’Reilly says that, as with other Fulu awards, the decision to publish the work or keep it private is left to the winner.
Why Ring cameras are under scrutiny
Concern has increased after Ring expanded its Search Party feature, allowing anyone using the Neighbors app to use nearby cameras to locate lost pets and items. But critics argue that private devices are quietly becoming part of a surveillance network.
This unease only grew as Ring’s ambitions became clearer. CEO Jamie Siminoff has talked about using Ring’s vast network of cameras to “eliminate crime” and position the platform as a tool for large-scale crime prevention, not just personal safety.
These concerns come amid long-standing skepticism about Amazon’s handling of user data. A previous Wired investigation found internal warnings about weak data security measures, increasing public concerns about possible data misuse.
Recent reports have heightened these concerns, including findings that Ring’s Android app allows unnamed third parties to track users and how your next walk could turn into a biometric scan on a Ring camera.
Regardless of whether the reward is successful or not, it highlights the growing demand for transparency and autonomy in connected home devices. However, if you are not interested in sharing data, Ring allows users to opt-out. Here’s how to disable the Search Party feature.
