Privacy and Dignity — No Cameras, No Microphones

Dorris will never put a camera or microphone in someone's home. Ever.

This isn't a marketing position. It's a design principle. There is no camera hardware in our system. There is no microphone. There is no video feed, no audio recording, no way to watch or listen. It simply doesn't exist in what we make.

There's a crucial difference between noticing that the kettle was used at half past seven, and watching someone make their tea.

The first tells you that the day has started normally. The second is surveillance.

Dorris does the first. It notices patterns — the kettle went on, the front door opened, there's been movement in the hallway, the lights came on in the evening. These are simple, factual observations about daily routine.

What Dorris never knows is what someone looked like when they opened the door. What they were saying on the phone. Whether they were dressed or in their pyjamas. What programme they were watching on television.

This distinction matters enormously. It's the difference between care and intrusion. Between supporting someone's independence and undermining it.

What Dorris knows

The kettle was used at 7:32am
The front door opened at 9:15am
The living room temperature is 20°C
There's been movement in the kitchen

What Dorris never knows

What someone looks like
What someone is saying
What they're wearing
What they're watching or reading

Discreet by design

The sensors are small and unobtrusive. There are no flashing lights, no obvious equipment, no visible technology that announces its presence. Visitors wouldn't notice them.

Home stays home

Nothing about the home changes. There's no clinical equipment, no institutional feel, no sense of being in a monitored facility. It's still the home your parent has always known.

No behaviour change

The person at home doesn't need to do anything differently. There's nothing to wear, nothing to remember to charge, no buttons to press. Life carries on exactly as before.

Why this matters so much

Older people deserve to feel at home in their own home. That sounds obvious, but it's remarkable how quickly that feeling can be eroded by well-meaning technology.

A camera in the living room, however discreet, changes the room. It shifts the dynamic from "this is my space" to "I'm being observed." It can make someone feel like a patient in their own home. It can create self-consciousness where there was none.

We believe there's a better way. One that gives families the information they need — the reassurance that today seems normal, or the heads-up that something might not be right — without ever crossing the line into surveillance.

The person at home is still the person at home. An adult, living their life, in their own space, on their own terms. Dorris is designed to keep it that way.

Reassurance without guilt

Most families who come to us aren't looking for a way to spy on their parents. The idea makes them uncomfortable. They want reassurance — not surveillance.

They want to know that Mum's day has started. That the house is warm. That there's been the usual amount of activity. They want that information without feeling guilty about how they got it.

Dorris makes that possible. Because there are no cameras, no microphones, and no way to observe what someone is actually doing, there's no guilt attached. You're not watching your parent. You're just staying aware of how their day is going.

That distinction matters to families. And it matters to us.

A note on our data documentation: We are preparing our full data protection documentation, including our complete privacy policy and data processing details. The summary below reflects our core design principles and the commitments we are building our systems around.

Our data principles

Data minimisation

We only collect the data needed to identify patterns and changes. We don't collect images, audio, video, or any form of personal identification through our sensors. The data we hold is limited to sensor readings — door open/close events, motion detection, temperature readings, appliance usage.

Encryption

Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. The information that moves between the sensors, our systems, and your notifications is protected using industry-standard encryption.

UK data storage

We are committed to storing data within the UK. Full details of our data storage arrangements will be published as part of our data protection documentation. (Further details to follow.)

Your data is never sold

We will never sell, share, or trade your data or your loved one's data with third parties for marketing, advertising, or any other commercial purpose. Your information is used solely to provide the Dorris service.

Family controls access

You decide who in the family has access to Dorris notifications and information. Access can be granted and revoked. The person at home, or the family member managing the account, retains control.

Right to delete

If you decide to stop using Dorris, you can request that all data is deleted. We won't hold onto information that you no longer want us to have.

Privacy shouldn't be a premium feature. It should be the starting point.

If you'd like to know more about how Dorris protects dignity and privacy, we're happy to talk.

Get in Touch

Privacy and dignity at the heart of everything