Amazon’s Ring will Pay the FTC $5.8 Million in Privacy Settlement

Amazon’s doorbell camera Unit, Ring, will have to pay a hefty fine in a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission regarding consumer privacy. According to a filing, Ring will pay $5.8 million.

The FTC alleged that ring employees and others were able to access and download every customer’s videos before July 2017, with no technical or procedural restrictions on the practice.

“Ring has claimed its products help keep customers safer with its doorbell security cameras, the FTC alleged that Ring instead comprised customer information by giving third-party contractors access to customer videos, even when it was unnecessary to perform their jobs,” CNBC reported.

Although the acquisition of Ring in 2018 has helped Amazon grow its presence in the smart home and home security categories, its security protocols have received much criticism in the past. Reports of the company firing employees for accessing customer video feeds and hackers gaining access to users’ cameras have made some question if Ring doorbell cameras are actually secure.