Amazon can pay $5.8 million to settle a recently announced privacy lawsuit raised by the Federal Trade Commission. In line with the federal grievance, Ring had allowed workers and third-party contractors full entry to buyer video content material. This unfettered entry was abused by some workers and contractors and was used to violate the privateness of each Ring prospects and different employees.
The lawsuit highlights a number of circumstances the place hacked cameras have been used to sexually harass and spy on ladies, stalk feminine co-workers who used Ring merchandise, utter racial slurs towards kids and extra. The FTC alleges that Amazon failed to deal with these points after shopping for the corporate in 2018, noting that safety points continued from 2016 by 2020.
Amazon has beforehand fired workers for inappropriate use of buyer knowledge, telling US Senators in 2020 that no less than 4 workers had been terminated for accessing or making an attempt to entry knowledge that “exceeded what was vital for his or her job features.”
This is not the primary time Ring Doorbells have contended with privateness complaints, both. The corporate confronted scrutiny final 12 months for giving police footage from Ring merchandise with out consumer consent. In 2020, hackers used illicit entry to Ring cameras to make use of in livestream swattings.
Amazon didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
