They're a popular holiday gift, and lots of stores are offering great deals on video doorbells. But how much do you actually know about how they work and what kind of data they're collecting?

Ring, a security company owned by Amazon, is catching a lot of criticism after five U.S. senators sent letters to CEO Jeff Bezos, demanding more information about how they're collecting and using homeowners' data and about what they're sharing with police.

Security experts are offering tips on how to be sure you're getting the safest option, and that you know how to use this technology, before buying one for yourself or someone you love this holiday season.

Adam Dean, a senior security specialist at Greycastle Security in Troy, says because this "plug in and go" security technology is so new, it's not highly regulated.

"It's really the Wild West in terms of the information that they can collect," Dean said. "There's no New York state law that says Ring doorbells, or rather, your location, is personal information."

FBI Special Agent in Charge James Hendricks says it's important to make sure you know what you're buying.

"You need to be smart about it and understand what it is you're bringing in, especially if you're buying it as a gift or giving it to a loved one or an older family member," Hendricks said. "Make sure they understand the settings and how they work and if you're uncomfortable with any of them, just make sure you disable those."

Dean noted, though, that if settings are disabled, the doorbells lose some functions. Hendricks said even if you disable functions, hackers could still use data to steal your identity, so there are other precautions to take.

"Anything that connects to the internet, there's [capability] of individuals that can hack those devices, so we just recommend that you make sure that you're home networks are updated with anti-virus software, [and] the firewalls are set," Hendricks said.

Spectrum News reached out to Ring for comment and received a statement which read, in part, "Ring takes the privacy and security of its customers’ extremely seriously. Our video request feature do not give police access to the locations of devices, and user information remains private unless a user chooses to share."

Earlier this year, the company's Neighbors app, which allows users to share video and other information about crimes or potential crimes with people in their neighborhoods, partnered with more than 400 law enforcement agencies nationwide while telling users their information was totally private. But tech site Gizmodo has been researching the Ring doorbells for months. Its latest report says it was able to use the app to access the locations of Ring security systems of tens of thousands of users across the country.

A Ring spokesperson said in a statement, in part, "The Neighbors app is built on users receiving alerts about important safety incidents near them to stay informed about what’s happening in their communities. We’re committed to delivering this important service to the community while putting our users’ privacy and security first."

Dean says while there are other options besides Ring, there are pros and cons.

"There are likely other devices out there that will be more secure, that will collect less data, but they're gonna be a lot harder to set up. They'll break ... maybe do things that you don't want them to do, and that's why Ring is so popular," Dean said.

Experts say there are some things to keep in mind if you're getting one of these security systems for your home:

• Read those terms and conditions to find out what information these companies are collecting, and opt out if you're not OK with them.
• If you buy a system like this for an older relative, make sure you walk them through how to use it.​
• If you already have a Ring and the Neighbors app, you can change settings and should be cautious about what you share.

Dean also said Amazon and any other company that sells devices like this, are likely trying to just collect information to target advertising, but the concern is how that data could end up in the wrong hands. The U.S. senators who have written to Bezos are concerned, in particular, about Ring's research team located in Ukraine, ahead of the 2020 election.