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.
PORTLAND, OR — A federal task force targeting fentanyl dealers in downtown Portland has led to nearly 100 federal charges over the past two years, and one of the leaders behind that effort is now being recognized with a national honor.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced FBI Special Agent Bobby Gutierrez as the Freedom 250 Hometown Hero, an award that honors individuals whose courage, generosity and public service reflect the ideals of liberty and civic responsibility.
The Freedom 250 initiative was created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and recognizes Americans who make lasting contributions to their local communities.
Gutierrez was selected as the District of Oregon’s Hometown Hero for his leadership, collaboration and dedication to joint downtown fentanyl enforcement missions. For the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland Police Bureau, has targeted fentanyl dealers in Portland.
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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gutierrez has helped coordinate dozens of investigations focused on fentanyl distributors in downtown Portland. Through those efforts, nearly 100 fentanyl distributors have been federally charged.
“As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I am honored to present Special Agent Gutierrez as Oregon’s Hometown Hero. Special Agent Gutierrez’s dedication, selfless service, and unwavering commitment have made a lasting impact on the safety and well-being of our community,” U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford said.
“Two years ago, Portland had notorious open-air drug markets, rising crime, and frequent overdoses. Thanks to Special Agent Gutierrez’s efforts, dedication, and coordination with local, county, and state partners, we are reducing fentanyl trafficking, violent crime, and overdoses downtown,” Bradford said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Gutierrez has been a “tireless investigator and steadfast partner” in efforts to restore downtown Portland to a safe and vibrant community.
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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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.
