The Fulu Foundation is offering a cash bounty to anyone who can break Ring cameras free from Amazon’s data ecosystem. The goal isn’t breaking into devices for misuse or surveillance.
It is 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 deeply tied to Amazon’s cloud services. Participants are being asked to find a way to prevent those devices from sending data to Amazon servers, without disabling the cameras themselves.
For many involved, the project is a response to growing discomfort with how Ring devices can be used beyond simple home security.
Inside the bounty and what hackers are being asked to do
The bounty is being offered by Fulu, which is a privacy-focused non-profit organization. Fulu cofounder Kevin O’Reilly told Wired, “People who install security cameras are looking for more security, not less. At the end of the day, control is at the heart of security. If we don’t control our data, we don’t control our devices.”
The challenge pays at least $10,000, with more pledged, to anyone who can modify a Ring camera so it works locally, blocks Amazon data sharing, and keeps features like motion detection and night vision intact.
The solution must rely on readily available and inexpensive tools, and the steps must be clear enough that a moderately technical user could complete the modification in under an hour. The winner will not be required to publish their methods.
Doing so could expose them to legal risk under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which restricts the circumvention of digital locks. O’Reilly says that, as with other Fulu bounties, the decision to publish or keep the work private will be left to the winner.
Why Ring cameras are under scrutiny
Concern has intensified after Ring expanded its Search Party feature, which lets anyone using the Neighbors app help locate lost pets and items through nearby cameras. However, critics argue that personal devices are quietly becoming part of a surveillance network.
That unease has only grown as Ring’s ambitions have become clearer. CEO Jamie Siminoff has spoken about using Ring’s massive camera network to “zero out crime,” positioning the platform as a tool for large-scale crime prevention rather than just personal safety.
These concerns exist against a longer backdrop of skepticism toward Amazon’s handling of user data. A previous Wired investigation revealed internal warnings about weak data safeguards, deepening public concern over potential data misuse.
Recent reports have added to those concerns, including findings that Ring’s Android app allows undisclosed third parties to track users and how your next walk past a Ring camera could turn into a biometric scan.
Whether the bounty succeeds or not, it highlights a growing demand for transparency and autonomy in connected home devices. Meanwhile, if you are not interested in sharing data, Ring does allow users to opt out, and here’s how to disable the Search Party feature.
