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  • Security or Snooping? Can I Stop My Neighbour’s Ring Doorbell From Filming Me?

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Security or Snooping? Can I Stop My Neighbour’s Ring Doorbell From Filming Me?

Published: 06/11/2025
Written by Curwens Solicitors

Smart doorbells like Ring and Blink are everywhere these days. They’re handy for spotting parcels, deterring burglars or not getting up from the sofa when someone wearing a rosette is at the door! But how would you feel if your neighbour’s video doorbell is pointing straight at your front door…and recording you, your family, or your visitors every time you all come and go?

It feels uncomfortable, even intrusive. So where is the balance? What can you do about it without souring neighbourly relations?

If your neighbour’s video doorbell only films their own front path or driveway, no problem. Things get tricky when it points beyond their property, if their video cameras view your doorway, garden, or are even recording sound from your conversations.


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At that point, data protection law kicks in. Your neighbour isn’t just a protective homeowner anymore. They’re now defined by the law calls a “data controller”. That means they have legal duties, including:

  • Having a good reason for recording you (usually “security”).
  • Telling people they’re being filmed (signs are expected).
  • Keeping recordings safe and private.
  • Deleting recordings when they’re no longer needed.
  • Handing over footage of you if you ask for it.

If they fail to do these, then, quite simply, they’re breaking the law.

This isn’t just legal theory. In Fairhurst v Woodard (2021), a doctor took her neighbour to court because his Ring cameras were filming and recording audio around her home. The judge agreed the neighbour’s security setup went too far and was both intrusive and unlawful.

The Oxford County Court ruled in favour of Dr. Fairhurst on the following claims: 

  • Breach of UK data protection law: The judge found that Mr. Woodard had unlawfully processed Dr. Fairhurst's personal data.
    • Excessive data collection: While using cameras for home security is legitimate, Mr. Woodard's devices recorded video and audio far beyond his property boundary, including significant portions of Dr. Fairhurst's garden and parking spaces.
    • Unlawful audio recording: The court found the audio function, especially on the Ring doorbell, to be disproportionately invasive. It could capture conversations from a distance that went far beyond the camera's visual range and was not necessary for his stated purpose of preventing crime.
    • Lack of transparency: The judge found that Mr. Woodard had actively misled his neighbour about how and whether the cameras were working.

The three key points were:

  • Proportionality: Surveillance must be proportionate to its intended purpose. Capturing data unnecessarily beyond the homeowner's property risks breaching data protection laws.
  • Audio recording: Special care must be taken with audio recording, as its broader range can be considered more intrusive and is less likely to be justified for crime prevention.
  • Transparency: Users are legally defined as data controllers, and as data controllers they must be open with their neighbours about the extent of their surveillance systems.

This case proved that the courts are willing to step in if a doorbell camera crosses the line from security into snooping, and all other routes to a settlement have been unsuccessful.

Most of the time, these issues can be solved without involving lawyers, courts or the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

A calm, polite chat with your neighbour can go a long way, because many people don’t even realise how much their device is capturing until it’s pointed out.

However, if your neighbour still will not be reasonable, you still have options.

  1. Keep Records. Note down dates, times, and how the camera affects you. If you can, take a photo of the angle. This evidence is useful if things escalate.
  2. Subject Access Request (SAR). You have the right to see any footage of yourself. Write to your neighbour and ask for copies. They legally have one month to reply.
  3. Complain to the ICO. If your neighbour ignores your request or refuses to adjust the camera, you can raise it with the Information Commissioner’s Office. They can investigate and, if needed, take action.



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Legal action should be considered as a last resort, if the constant intrusion of their recording causes serious distress. There are routes through court under data protection or even harassment law.

And as in Fairhurst v Woodard, when the proportionality test was failed, the court ruled that security had morphed into snooping

So, if you feel uncomfortable every time you step outside, don’t just put up with it. Start with a chat, stay polite but firm, and remember: your privacy matters as much as their security.

Alan Carter is the Managing Partner at Curwens Solicitors. He has decades of experience dealing with all types of Litigation, including Neighbour disputes. If you have an issue of concern, kindly feel free to contact him.

Please note that our briefings are for informational purposes only, and do not constitute legal advice.

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Any data that you submit using this web form will be held by our firm as Data Controller and will be held securely for 12 months before being securely and confidentially destroyed.
Find out more Your data will not be disclosed to any third parties without your consent or as otherwise allowed by the relevant Data Protection legislation and will only be used for responding to your query (or purposes associated with that purpose).

You have the right to be informed about what data we hold about you along with other rights set out in the legislation. Further information about your rights under the data protection legislation can be found at www.ico.org.uk

Full details can be found here

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