FTC to refund $5.6 million to customers after Ring employees watch videos without consent
If you have a Ring video or doorbell camera, you may be due a refund from the Federal Trade Commission.
The FTC announced earlier this week that it will be sending refunds totaling more than $5.6 million to consumers with certain types of Ring doorbells. The payments come from a settlement with Ring over charges that the company allowed its employees and contractors to access private videos from the cameras without the consumers’ consent.
The settlement comes from a complaint first announced in May 2023 that Ring was using customer videos to train algorithms and failed to implement necessary security safeguards.
According to the complaint, one Ring employee viewed thousands of video recordings over several months belonging to female users of Ring cameras that recorded intimate spaces of their homes, such as the bedroom or bathroom.
“Ring’s disregard for privacy and security exposed consumers to spying and harassment,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said following the 2023 complaint. “The FTC’s order makes clear that putting profit over privacy doesn’t pay.”
The FTC plans to send 117,044 PayPal payments to customers who owned specific Ring devices, such as indoor cameras, when it alleges unauthorized users had access to customer videos. The FTC recommends that payments be redeemed within 30 days of receiving them.
Are you owed a Ring refund?
If you used an indoor Ring camera or other product prior to May 2023 and have questions about if you qualify for a refund from the settlement, you can contact the FTC’s refund administrator at (833) 637-4884. You can also view the FTC’s frequently asked questions about refunds page online.
