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NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $5.6 million in refunds to consumers as part of a settlement with Amazon-owned Ring, which was charged with failing to protect private video footage from outside access.
In a 2023 complaint, the FTC accused the doorbell camera and home security provider of allowing its employees and contractors to access customers’ private videos. Ring allegedly used such footage to train algorithms without consent, among other purposes.
Ring was also charged with failing to implement key security protections, which enabled hackers to take control of customers’ accounts, cameras and videos. This led to “egregious violations of users’ privacy,” the FTC noted.
The resulting settlement required Ring to delete content that was found to be unlawfully obtained, establish stronger security protections and pay a hefty fine. The FTC says that it’s now using much of that money to refund eligible Ring customers.
According to a Tuesday notice, the FTC is sending 117,044 PayPal payments to impacted consumers who had certain types of Ring devices — including indoor cameras — during the timeframes that the regulators allege unauthorized access took place.
Eligible customers will need to redeem these payments within 30 days, according to the FTC — which added that consumers can contact this case’s refund administrator, Rust Consulting, or visit the FTC’s FAQ page on refunds for more information about the process.
In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Ring said that bad actors took emails and passwords that were “stolen from other companies to unlawfully log into Ring accounts of certain customers” who used the same credentials on multiple sites back in 2019 — adding that the company promptly addressed this by notifying those it discovered to be “exposed in a third-party, non-Ring incident” and taking action to protect impacted accounts.
Ring did not immediately address the FTC’s allegations of employees and contractors unlawfully accessing footage.
Earlier this year, the California-based company separately announced that it would stop allowing police departments to request doorbell camera footage from users, marking an end to a feature that had drawn criticism from privacy advocates.
FAQs
The Federal Trade Commission is sending refunds totaling more than $5.6 million to consumers as the result of a settlement with Ring over charges the company allowed employees and contractors to access consumers' private videos and failed to implement security protections, enabling hackers to take control of consumers' ...
Is the FTC Ring refund legitimate? ›
The FTC is now using that money to provide refunds to eligible Ring customers. If you get a PayPal payment, please accept it within 30 days. You can find answers to common questions about FTC refund payments on our FAQ page. If you have any other questions, please call the refund administrator at 1-833-637-4884.
Did the FTC send $5.6 million in refunds to Ring customers as part of the video privacy settlement? ›
NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $5.6 million in refunds to consumers as part of a settlement with Amazon-owned Ring, which was charged with failing to protect private video footage from outside access.
Is the FTC refund check real or fake? ›
Whenever there's an FTC refund program, information is available at ftc.gov/refunds. Click on a case name to see more details about the refund program, including whether we sent checks, debit cards, Zelle payments, or PayPal payments. Scammers sometimes send emails that pretend to be from the FTC or a company you know.
Did Ring customers receive $5.6 million in refunds for privacy violations? ›
Ring wasn't the only security tech company associated with these kinds of internal problems. These issues all led to a $5.8 million fine from the FTC, long after Ring had made many changes to its cam-related activities. Now the FTC is distributing $5.6 million of that fine back to users who were affected.
How do I know if I get a Ring refund? ›
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.
How do I know if I'm part of the Ring settlement? ›
Do I qualify for the Ring settlement? If you're eligible for the FTC's recent Ring settlement, you should have been notified about it via email.
What is the FTC lawsuit I works? ›
FTC Sends Additional Refunds to People Charged by I Works
The FTC sued I Works for false advertising and for billing customers without their consent.
Has the FTC sued Amazon? ›
Case Summary. The Federal Trade Commission, 18 state attorneys general, and Puerto Rico sued Amazon alleging that the online retail and technology company is a monopolist that uses a set of interlocking anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power.
What is the FTC breach rule? ›
The Rule requires vendors of personal health records and related entities to notify consumers following a breach involving unsecured information. In addition, if a service provider to one of these entities has a breach, it must notify the entity, which in turn must notify consumers.
A check or claim form sent as part of an FTC settlement will include an explanation and details about the case. Review recent cases that resulted in refunds at ftc.gov/refunds. If someone tells you to send money to get a refund from the FTC or any other government agency, it's a scam.
What does a fake refund check look like? ›
All U.S. Treasury checks are printed on watermarked paper. When held up to the light, the watermark reads “U.S. Treasury” from both the front and the back. Any check should be suspected as counterfeit if the check has no watermark, or the watermark is visible without holding the check up to light.
What is a federal refund check? ›
The term "tax refund" refers to a reimbursem*nt made to a taxpayer for any excess amount paid in taxes to the federal or state government. While taxpayers tend to look at a refund as a bonus or a stroke of luck, it often represents what is essentially an interest-free loan that the taxpayer made to the government.
Is the FTC sending $5.6 million in refunds to Ring customers? ›
NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $5.6 million in refunds to consumers as part of a settlement with Amazon-owned Ring, which was charged with failing to protect private video footage from outside access.
Did Ring get bought by Amazon? ›
The acquisition of Ring by Amazon in February 2018 for over $1 billion was a testament to the company's success and potential.
Can Ring customer service see my cameras? ›
Can Ring employees view my videos? We have strong policies and controls in place that restrict employee access to customers' stored videos. Employees are not able to view, access, or control live streams.
Is the FTC sending refunds to thousands of Amazon Ring camera owners? ›
The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $5.6 million in refunds to people who purchased Amazon's Ring camera during a time when the devices were potentially being used to violate their privacy.
Who is eligible for the Ring refund? ›
Customers who are eligible include those who used specific types of Ring devices during this timeframe. The FTC will be sending payments through PayPal to customers who were impacted. Eligible customers will need to request a refund on the FTC's website.
Is ftc.gov a real website? ›
If you're looking for the official source of information about the FTC, please visit https://www.ftc.gov.
