Amazon's Ring cameras may be able to detect people by their smell, according to new patents the company submitted. Ring's internet-connected doorbells would also be able to scan neighbourhoods and identify "suspicious" people based on their skin texture, gait (walk) and voices. The cameras do not have facial recognition, but the company has 17 patents for features that use the technology. One patent, Insider reports, mentions a "Neighborhood Alert Mode" that would send an alert to other neighbours after a user share a picture or video of someone found suspicious that prompts other doorbells to start recording – even if the person does not come up to their doorbell. The biometric information mentioned includes palm, finger, retina, iris, skin texture, typing, gait, voice, and "odour recognition".

While Amazon takes special care to position its Ring video doorbell product as a friendly, high-tech version of the traditional "neighborhood watch," U.S. lawmakers and privacy advocates are becoming increasingly skeptical. As they see it, Amazon Ring is putting into place few if any safeguards to protect personal privacy and civil rights. Now that Amazon Ring is partnering with hundreds of law enforcement and police agencies around the nation to share surveillance video, these privacy concerns are only mounting. In November, Amazon Ring released new details about its surprisingly extensive partnership agreements with law enforcement agencies. This update is a follow-up to a Washington Post article outlining Amazon Ring's new partnerships with law enforcement.