A $10K+ bounty is waiting for anyone who can unplug Ring doorbells from Amazon’s cloud
The Verge
February 19, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The Fulu Foundation, a consumer advocacy group cofounded by YouTuber Louis Rossmann, has launched an initiative offering a $10,000 bounty to developers who can create a local storage solution for Ring doorbell footage, moving it away from Amazon's cloud. This comes amid growing backlash over Ring's controversial Search Party feature, which shares video clips with law enforcement without user consent. The challenge aims to integrate Ring doorbells with local PCs or servers while eliminating reliance on Amazon's cloud services. Currently, Ring users must pay a subscription fee to store recordings in the cloud, though the company offers a limited local storage option through its Ring Edge service, which is only available with the Ring Alarm Pro.
The initiative highlights concerns about privacy and data control, as storing footage locally could reduce reliance on Amazon's servers and provide greater autonomy for users. The Fulu Foundation views this as an opportunity to empower consumers by giving them more control over their personal data. While Ring offers a local storage option through Ring Edge, it is not widely available and still ties users to the company’s ecosystem. The $10,000 bounty
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Originally published on The Verge on 2/19/2026