Ring, the smart home division of Amazon, announced the adoption of a new encryption standard called TAKE, short for Throw Away the Key Encryption, making it the default setting for video encryption and control in its cloud services. The company said the standard’s rollout will begin gradually for customers in September, with the option becoming available as the default worldwide.
TAKE aims to address the trade-off between privacy protection and operating certain cloud features that may be disrupted or reduced when end-to-end encryption is used. These features include video search, describing its content, providing access to trusted users, as well as smart alerts that send notifications when people, vehicles, or packages are detected in front of the camera.
How Does the TAKE Standard Work?
According to Ring, the standard relies on a changing set of encryption keys that are temporarily stored in the cloud and can be accessed only by the company to operate the features enabled by the user. After the request is completed, the company says it deletes the keys within 24 hours.
This allows Ring to temporarily decrypt and process video when a cloud function needs to be performed, and then dispose of the encryption key used. The company says that only the user retains the keys to their videos after the temporary keys are deleted, but this model differs in practice from end-to-end encryption because operating some services requires Ring to have temporary ability to process the content.
What Changes for Users?
Customers will gradually receive TAKE as the default setting, while retaining the ability to manually choose end-to-end encryption. The latter option provides a different level of protection, but it may limit features such as searching clips, smart alerts, or sharing access with trusted users, according to the company.
Ring says the standard was built on the basis of the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) standard, an open messaging standard developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). TAKE also enables encryption keys to be recovered when access to the device is lost and a new device is purchased, through user authentication near Ring cameras. The company lists other account-recovery alternatives, including a passphrase, cloud backups, another approved device, or passkeys.
Why Does This Change Matter?
The change does not merely add a new technical setting; it redefines which party can process camera video and when it can do so. It gives Ring greater latitude to operate more cloud features, in exchange for users relying on the company’s promises to delete temporary keys within the specified timeframe. Therefore, implementation details, mechanisms for verifying deletion, and limits on access to video will remain important points for practical review.
The announcement comes after criticism Ring faced in recent months over the Familiar Faces feature, which uses facial recognition to identify visitors. In June, a class-action lawsuit accused Amazon of storing images of passersby without consent. The new announcement does not specifically establish that this issue has been addressed, but it makes encryption options and the limits of cloud processing more important for users weighing privacy against smart features.