👀🚪”Ring Ring?” More like “Peek Peek.”
One Clap for the FTC 👏
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a significant $5.6 million refund for certain Ring customers. The settlement comes after allegations that the Amazon-owned security camera company allowed employees and contractors access to consumers’ private videos.
Let’s dive into the details of this settlement, including how you can find out if you’re eligible for a refund and what steps you need to take next.
What Is the Amazon Ring Settlement All About?
The FTC will be sending refunds via PayPal to more than 117,000 Ring customers who had specific types of Ring devices, such as indoor cameras. This settlement also mandates that Ring delete any videos it shouldn't possess and establish a stronger privacy and security program.
Is There a Claim Form for the Ring Settlement?
Good news! There’s no need to fill out a claim form for the Ring settlement. The FTC has already identified eligible consumers and notified them via email (might be a good idea to check yours 👀). Payments will be automatically sent to these consumers through PayPal.
IMPORTANT: If you’ve received such a notification, make sure to redeem your PayPal payment within 30 days to claim your refund.
How Much Money Will I Get from the Ring Camera Settlement?
The median refund amount is around $48 per customer (or 5.4 chipotle burritos 🌯), though some payments may be as high as $150. You can see how much refund money will be sent to recipients in each state on the FTC’s payment map.
Do I Qualify for the Ring Settlement?
If you’re eligible for the FTC’s recent Ring settlement, you should have been notified via email. If you haven’t received an email and you double check that it isn’t in your spam folder, it’s likely you’re not on the list of affected consumers.
How Did We Get Here?
In May 2023, the FTC filed a complaint against Ring, claiming it compromised customers’ privacy by allowing unrestricted access to private videos for employees and contractors. The agency also alleged that Ring’s inadequate privacy safeguards led to hackers taking control of customer accounts, cameras, and videos.
The FTC's 20-page complaint detailed how Ring misled customers by promising enhanced security while failing to restrict video access, using the footage without consent to "train algorithms," and causing significant privacy violations. One particularly egregious example cited was an employee who viewed thousands of private video recordings from female users' bathrooms and bedrooms over several months. This misconduct was only discovered when another employee raised the alarm 🚨.
The Settlement Terms
As part of the settlement, Ring must delete certain data, models, and algorithms derived from videos it unlawfully reviewed and implement a robust privacy and security program. These measures include new safeguards on human review of videos and other security controls.
Related Developments
In addition to the FTC settlement, Ring faced a proposed class action lawsuit in January 2020. This lawsuit claimed that Ring's indoor security cameras had vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to spy on and harass consumers and children. The class action was settled in October 2023.
The Bottom Line
If you’re eligible for the Ring settlement, make sure to redeem your PayPal payment promptly and rest easy knowing that privacy and security measures are being strengthened for your protection.
What Now?
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