Why privacy advocates are ringing the alarm on doorbell cameras
The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie and a Super Bowl advertisement for Ring are bringing new attention to doorbell cameras and privacy concerns.
The number of security cameras in the U.S. is growing, with an estimated 85 million installed by 2021.
In Oregon, it is legal to point security cameras on your property toward public areas like streets and sidewalks.
While you can generally point a camera at a neighbor’s house, aiming it into private areas like bedrooms or bathrooms is illegal.
There are millions of homes and businesses with security cameras and the number is only growing.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, surveillance camera installations in the U.S. were expected to grow from 47 million in 2015 to about 85 million by 2021.
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An estimated 10 million Amazon’s Ring doorbell cameras are in use nationwide, according to a 2023 report from Politico, and dozens of other companies have made their own doorbell cameras to jump on the craze.
At the same time, concerns over surveillance are on the rise. Ring ended its partnership with Flock, a Georgia-based tech surveillance company, in February. Throughout 2025, Eugene and Springfield residents fought back against the installation of Flock license-plate reader cameras, which led to them being taken down seven months later.
On your private property, what laws exist around security cameras and where they can point? The Register-Guard looked at state and municipal laws to find out.
Can you point a security camera at the street or sidewalk?
Yes. You can absolutely point security cameras located on your property at the street.
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There are no laws around recording video in “public view.”
“Public view” is classified as any area that can be readily seen by normal, unaided vision when viewed from a public place, including streets.
Can you point a security camera at your neighbor’s house?
Usually, yes, your surveillance cameras can be pointed toward others’ homes. While there are no specific Oregon laws against installing security cameras that are directed at your neighbor’s home, you may want to be careful where exactly it’s pointed.
If you have a doorbell camera, for example, that points directly from your front door to your neighbor’s front door across the street, that’s completely legal.
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Anything visible in “public view” is permissible to video as long as you remain on public or your own property.
According to a city of Eugene spokesperson, there are no city laws against a private party having a security camera and what direction it is pointing.
However, it can get tricky, depending on where exactly you point your cameras. For example, if you have a two-story home and you point your security camera into your neighbor’s backyard, that might be harder to defend in court. It all hinges on ORS 163.700 — Invasion of personal privacy.
Can you point a surveillance camera into your neighbor’s bedroom or bathroom?
Effectively, no. You cannot point a camera into your neighbor’s bedroom or bathroom without risking breaking Oregon law.
This would likely be a violation of ORS 163.700, constituting an invasion of personal privacy in the second degree.
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The law extends to any recording of another person’s “intimate area” without consent in places where the person recorded has a “reasonable expectation of privacy concerning the intimate area.” As defined by Oregon law, “intimate area” includes nudity and undergarments typically covered by other clothing.
Because people typically change their clothing in bedrooms and bathrooms, a security camera pointed into those rooms would more than likely capture them nude or in their undergarments, which would violate Oregon law.
Where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy extends beyond bedrooms and bathrooms. According to Oregon law, it also includes, but is not limited to, locker rooms, tanning booths and any area where a person undresses in an enclosed space that is not open to public view.
Invasion of personal privacy in the second degree is a Class A misdemeanor, which can result in a fine up to $6,250.
Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on X @mirandabcyr.
Kam Wah Chung and Company was a home, a general store, a community center and a medical clinic, where co-owner Ing Hay served as a beloved doctor to residents across the region.
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Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society / OPB
Listen to audio from OPB journalists
In Eastern Oregon’s John Day, a 160-year-old building holds one of the biggest collections of traditional Chinese medicine in the world. Kam Wah Chung and Company, once part of a thriving Chinatown, was owned and operated by Lung On and Ing Hay for over half a century. It was a home, a general store, a community center and a medical clinic where Ing Hay served as a beloved doctor to residents across the region. His practice included herbal remedies, noninvasive treatments, essential women’s healthcare and more.
Archaeologists and historians are continuing to deepen our understanding of the legacy of Kam Wah Chung and traditional Chinese medicine in Eastern Oregon. We join them to learn more about Ing Hay’s important contributions to rural communities in John Day and beyond, as part of our special series in collaboration with OPB’s “Oregon Experience,” the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology and Jefferson Public Radio about unearthing Oregon history.
Listen to all episodes of “The Evergreen” podcast here.
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Sign up today for OPB’s “First Look” – your daily guide to the most important news and culture stories from around the Northwest.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A shelter-in-place order has been lifted and a suspect is in custody following a shooting and domestic disturbance investigation in Sandy on Sunday, police said.
Around 8:30 p.m., the Sandy Police Department made the announcement on social media that the suspect was in custody with “no ongoing threat to the community.”
This comes after the suspect had been “confined to residence” one hour earlier.
Just after 5 p.m., an initial social media post by Sandy police said that officers and other agencies were on the scene near 39500 Evans Street due to a “domestic disturbance and reported shooting.”
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The shelter-in-place order remained in effect for hours and people were asked to avoid the area.
KOIN 6 News crews saw several ambulances lined up on the street near the site and armored vehicles entering the scene.
We will update this article as we find out more details.
Video shows retirement party for Oregon Fish & Wildlife Conservation K-9
Oregon’s first Fish & Wildlife Conservation K-9, Buck, was deployed 184 times across the state before his retirement.
Oregonians can fish, clam and crab for free during Oregon’s annual Free Fishing Weekend in June.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said it will hold another free fishing weekend June 6-7, offering all Oregonians and nonresidents the chance to fish for free across the state for two days.
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No fishing or shellfish licenses or tags, endorsements or validations are required on these days. Oregon State Parks will also offer free parking at state parks on June 6.
While fishing may be free, ODFW said that all other fishing regulations apply. That includes single rod limitations, bag limits, size restrictions and closures.
Fishing regulations are available online and MyODFW.com for any in-season regulation updates.
Here’s what to know about Oregon June 2026 free fishing weekend.
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Will Oregon lakes be stocked for 2026 free fishing weekend?
ODFW will be stocking many of Oregon’s lakes and ponds with rainbow trout for free fishing weekend.
People are encouraged to visit the recreation report at ODFW’s website to find the best fishing spots, and to check out the trout stocking schedule for stocking locations.
ODFW said that drought conditions will make a difference this year and some smaller lakes and ponds might be warmer than usual. The agency suggested fishing earlier in the day or fishing for warm water fish like bass, bluegill and crappie.
How to go crabbing and clamming during Oregon’s June 2026 free fishing weekend
For Oregonians who have never tried crabbing or clamming, free fishing weekend can be a good opportunity to learn.
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ODFW provides information on how to get started crabbing on its website. It includes tips and tricks on how to crab, where to crab, how to measure a crab and how to tell if it is male or female.
People can also visit the website for information on how to get started clamming, including how to dig for clams, where to dig for clams and what species to look for.
As of May 26, crabbing is open coastwide. Razor clamming is only allowed from the Washington border to Cape Blanco. It is currently prohibited from Cape Blanco to the California border.
The agency warns that closures can happen at any time, especially closures related to shellfish biotoxins, or toxins carried by shellfish that can cause serious illness.
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For updated recreational shellfish biotoxin closures, visit the ODA website or call the shellfish biotoxin hotline at 1-800-448-2474.
To get updated harvesting statuses, people can visit the Oregon Department of Agriculture website.
To check for additional closures during free fishing weekend, people can visit myodfw.com.
What are some events happening during fishing weekend?
ODFW and volunteers will be hosting free events around Oregon on June 6. These events will offer equipment and hands-on instruction for beginners learning how to fish.
Some of the scheduled events include:
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Twin Ponds in Ukiah from 9 a.m. to noon on June 6
Olalla Reservoir in Toledo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6
Silverton Marine Park in Silverton from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6
Cleawox Lake in Florence from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6
Henry Hagg Lake in Gaston from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6
Alton Baker Park in Eugene will hold a youth-only event for anglers 17 and younger from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 6
Small Fry Lake in Estacada from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6.
Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval is a lifelong Oregonian who covers trending news, entertainment, food and outdoors. She can be reached at GSandoval@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.
