Amazon’s Ring is set to introduce its Neighbours community app to the UK on October 21, expanding its social networking features beyond the US while addressing privacy concerns. This new service, integrated into the existing Ring app, allows UK residents to share local safety alerts, community news, and even reports of lost pets, without the necessity of owning a Ring device.

The Neighbours app aims to offer a more tailored alternative to larger neighborhood groups on platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook by letting users define their community area within a 0.1 to five-mile radius. Posts on the platform will be categorized and undergo review by both artificial intelligence and human moderators to ensure compliance with guidelines that prohibit illegal content, discrimination, and speculation.

While the UK version of the app will initially lack some features available in the US, such as the ability for fire departments to post alerts and police to request camera footage, Ring is considering introducing these capabilities in the future. In response to privacy issues that have arisen in the US, particularly concerning police access to Ring footage, the company has implemented measures to enhance user control over their recordings.

Additionally, Ring will roll out a new feature called Search Party for Dogs in the UK, enabling users to report missing dogs using photos and descriptions. Ring camera owners with eligible subscriptions can opt to receive alerts if their devices detect a missing pet, with the option to share footage with the pet’s owner.

Acquired by Amazon in 2018, Ring has faced scrutiny over privacy matters and the use of its camera footage. In response, the company has introduced a default encryption system known as TAKE, which uses time-limited keys to safeguard recordings, ensuring no access is granted after the key expires unless the user consents.