Amazon.com's Ring will pay $5.8 million after employees spied on customer videos

[neurosis]

Doesn't seem like Amazon had to pay near enough for this cluster-F. 

Anyone with ring cameras know if they were spied on?


Amazon.com's Ring will pay $5.8 million after employees spied on customer videos Employees and third-party contractors were able to view, download and transfer customers' sensitive video data for their own purposes, the FTC said.

Amazon.com's doorbell camera unit Ring has reached a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission regarding privacy, according to a filing Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

As part of the agreement, Ring is to pay $5.8 million, according to a filing.

Amazon.com did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The FTC said Ring gave employees unrestricted access to customers' sensitive video data said "as a result of this dangerously overbroad access and lax attitude toward privacy and security, employees and third-party contractors were able to view, download, and transfer customers' sensitive video data for their own purposes."

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[ghuns]

...Anyone with ring cameras know if they were spied on?...

Yikes.

Ummm... Sooooo... If a sex tape of me suddenly shows up on the interwebz, with the old lady bent over the fire table on the deck, just know that 1, it was sped up. And 2, that weird Ring camera subtracts a good 3".

[RobertELee]

I threw our Ring in the garbage. Biggest piece of shit ever.

[JParis]

Never bought one, never would...or Alexa or any of the other voice activated, internet connected "electronics" or "appliances"

There are days I consider powering down my cell phone and dumping it

[gcode]

I've got a Nest thermostat but that's it

[neurosis]

I use eufy cameras right now but only on my front porch and garage.  I wont have a camera inside unless someone is working in there when I'm away.

[HTM01]

i have camera's on my driveway (not ring) but block the camera on computers and alexa

[Dan_AKA_ROY23]

5.8 million!

I gotta sell my Amazon stock pronto! How will they recover? 

[Jim at Gentex]

I have a Ring Doorbell.

At one time we had an issue in our neighborhood with some minor vandalism and a few package thefts, so my wife asked if we could install it after seeing them on sale at Home Depot.  I wasn't thrilled with the idea but I did it anyway since we were remodeling the front of the house at that time.

The thing my wife really liked about it was if anyone rang the doorbell, the camera would activate and send the live audio and video feed to her phone so she could see and talk to the person through the intercom without opening the door. Since she and her Mom were home alone most days back then, it gave them a little better sense of security.  

Honestly after several other neighbors installed them, and other visible external cameras, we did notice a drop in those previous incidents, so if nothing else they may be a minor deterrent.

Mine only captures my front door and a few feet of the sidewalk on either side, as well as any cars passing by, so if someone viewed the video from my house they would probably fall asleep from boredom.

However, I do sympathize with those many people who suffered serious violations of their privacy, and I believe the parent company should be held liable for that. 

[Incogneeto]

I have a Ring Doorbell.

At one time we had an issue in our neighborhood with some minor vandalism and a few package thefts, so my wife asked if we could install it after seeing them on sale at Home Depot.  I wasn't thrilled with the idea but I did it anyway since we were remodeling the front of the house at that time.

The thing my wife really liked about it was if anyone rang the doorbell, the camera would activate and send the live audio and video feed to her phone so she could see and talk to the person through the intercom without opening the door. Since she and her Mom were home alone most days back then, it gave them a little better sense of security.   

Honestly after several other neighbors installed them, and other visible external cameras, we did notice a drop in those previous incidents, so if nothing else they may be a minor deterrent.

Mine only captures my front door and a few feet of the sidewalk on either side, as well as any cars passing by, so if someone viewed the video from my house they would probably fall asleep from boredom.

However, I do sympathize with those many people who suffered serious violations of their privacy, and I believe the parent company should be held liable for that. 

When I was Married.

I had a ring installed in the bedroom. Everytime I left for work I would get Notifications every 15 minutes.

I would look and all I could see was a Towel over it.

Eventually I got tired of the towel threw it out and turned off Notifications. PPpppffffftt!!!

Problem Solved.!!