IP Cameras and Privacy

An important consideration when IP Cameras at home are so ubiquitous these days. I remember my first IP camera back in the day. You have to be pretty tech savvy to set up and use such a thing. And that I was and I liked it. Setting up port forwarding and dynamic DNS. But these days IP cams are so easy to set up. Scan the QR code on the camera and your up within 2 minutes. The simplicity comes with a cost. Everything is hosted on the cloud these days. And it's convinient. The cloud helps to connect the camera with the App from outside your house. And many of them store videos and images in the cloud. 

The Question to ponder over is this; how do we know that someone else is not watching. How do we know that the IP cameras doesn't have a backdoor for others to peek into our homes and lives? I especially wonder because I have some cheap unbranded IP cameras around, that have the 'live' led come on at random when no one that we know are accessing it (I kid you not). This is why I never put cameras in bedrooms. They are only in the common areas of the house. It may be prudent for you to take heed of these.

Not many cameras will operate without cloud services. But here are a few that you might want to consider. These are the peer to peer IP cameras, where there is no contact with any cloud services and that when you access them is directly connecting to them to your house.

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Reolink

Local-only options available: Reolink systems, especially when paired with an NVR or Home Hub, do not require internet or cloud access. They can be fully managed locally.

Subscription is optional: Their Cloud service is just that—optional. You can choose to save footage locally to microSD, NVR, or even FTP without using cloud storage.

New Altas series: These cameras continue recording locally even when the internet is down, and the Home Hub stores footage locally (RTSP, NAS support).

Verdict: Yes, Reolink can be used completely offline, including setup and remote access (via VPN or local NVR), without ever touching the cloud.

eufy (including eufyCam 3 / HomeBase systems)

Local storage & processing: The eufyCam 3 system supports on-device AI (like face recognition) and stores footage via the HomeBase hub—no cloud required.

No subscription needed: You can operate without investing in their cloud services and retain full control over your data.

However:

An account may be required during initial setup and some remote features may rely on internet connectivity.

Without internet, you lose remote live viewing, notifications, and cloud-based features—but local recording still works.

Verdict: Mostly yes for local usage, but not entirely: some eufy setups may contact their servers during setup or for remote app access.

Blink (with Sync Module 2 + USB drive)

Fully local recording: Blink allows local-only storage via the Sync Module 2 and a USB drive—no cloud needed if you opt out.

Remote access still possible: You can view local clips via the Blink app remotely, even if you don’t subscribe.

Limitations if avoiding cloud: Without a subscription, you lose advanced features like person detection, automatic backups, and extended search in the app.

Verdict: Yes, Blink supports local-only setup and external access (via app), but with limited features compared to cloud-backed setups.

ANNKE

Local Access:
You can connect to ANNKE cameras or DVR/NVR systems using their web interface or ANNKE Vision software as long as your device is on the same local network.

Remote (External) Access Without Cloud:
Yes, ANNKE enables remote access via DDNS and port forwarding—completely independent of cloud services.
Additionally, their "Platform Access" or "Guarding Vision" P2P feature—while more convenient—may route through ANNKE servers, which can involve some cloud interaction. These are optional and not mandatory for local or remote access.

** Bottom Line for ANNKE**:
You can enable true cloud-free external access using standard networking techniques like DDNS + port forwarding, or VPN if you prefer stronger security.

Amcrest

Local Access:
Amcrest cameras can be accessed locally—via browser (web UI) or their app—without any internet connection.

Remote Access Without Cloud:
Yes. You can remotely access Amcrest cameras using DDNS (Dynamic DNS) in combination with port forwarding, bypassing any need for cloud services.
For PC-based control, Amcrest offers Surveillance Pro and other software tools or browser access for central management—also cloud optional.

** Bottom Line for Amcrest**:
Fully supports external access without cloud, using familiar networking setups like port forwarding with DDNS or VPN for added security.

Safemo

Local Access:
Safemo operates with a local Smart Hub that stores footage securely and lets you access it within your home network.

Remote Access Without Cloud:
Safemo uses its proprietary SafeRTC—a peer-to-peer secure connection protocol—for remote access, which does not depend on cloud infrastructure or third-party servers.

** Note**: A web listing mentioning a Safemo account requirement and internet for live view indicates some features may need internet—but the core access technologies (SafeRTC) still enable cloud-free remote access.

** Bottom Line for Safemo**:
Yes, remote access works without cloud, thanks to its hub-based architecture and SafeRTC encrypted protocol.