How the FBI might have gotten inaccessible camera footage from house

6 hours ago

FBI recovered previously inaccessible Google Nest video footage showing a masked person outside Nancy Guthrie's door.
Initial reports suggested the doorbell camera was disconnected and footage overwritten due to lack of a paid subscription.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated the video was recovered from 'residual data located in backend systems'.
Experts explain that tampering with the camera (e.g., unplugging) stops recording but preserves existing data temporarily.
Without a subscription, Google may still store data briefly but has no obligation to retain it long-term.
Deleted data may not be immediately erased and can sometimes be recovered before being overwritten.
U.S. privacy laws are lenient, leaving data retention policies largely to companies' discretion.
Companies may comply with law enforcement requests if presented with a warrant, though some resist to protect user privacy.
Consumers are urged to understand how their data can be accessed by authorities and review terms of service.

Hasty Briefsbeta