Tech News
← Back to articles

Can You Legally Share ICE Raids on Apps Like Ring Neighbors or Nextdoor?

read original related products more articles

If your community is concerned about ICE raids or similar police action, you may be wondering how to communicate with others. Dedicated apps don't always last for this purpose and some users have found their posts on security-oriented websites like Ring Neighbors and Nextdoor were getting taken down. That's why I dug deeper.

After talking with Ring, Nextdoor and others, I found exactly what they allow when discussing ICE activity, posting videos of law enforcement from video doorbells or home security cams. The good news is that, as long as you create your posts the right way, they should stay up. Here's what to know.

Read more: Is it Legal for Police to Seize Your Home Security Videos?

Why posts are getting banned on apps like Ring Neighbors

Posts that name streets and other nearby locations are less likely to be removed. Tyler Lacoma/CNET

When I reached out to Ring about its Neighbors app policies regarding recent events and police raids (as well as Reddit reports about posts being taken down), the company provided helpful information about its specific policies.

I found out the reasons why Ring tends to remove certain posts or stop them from going live on Neighbors. For one thing, posts about a general law enforcement presence can get nixed. So if someone said ICE was spotted in "Bell Gardens," their post would be denied because that's just too vague. Or if a post asked, "Hey, is there any ICE activity in town?" it wouldn't be allowed. Other posts get banned if they:

Explicitly obstruct law enforcement

Voice political opinions

Assume immigration status or other types of prejudice

... continue reading