source: techcrunch ai: amazon faces class action lawsuit over ring facial-recognition feature
level: business
amazon faces a class action lawsuit over its ring doorbell cameras. the suit, filed in seattle by virginia resident charles sigwalt, targets the familiar faces feature. this ai tool identifies regular visitors and sends specific alerts. ring users must opt in, but the lawsuit argues that people walking by do not consent to facial scans. the complaint says millions of americans unknowingly had their facial data collected.
ring launched familiar faces in december after announcing it last september. the feature faced early criticism from groups like the electronic frontier foundation and senator ed markey. amazon says face data is encrypted and not shared, with unidentified faces deleted after 30 days. however, ring has a history of privacy issues. in 2023, amazon paid a $5.8 million ftc fine over employees accessing customer videos without need. ring also previously let police request footage without a warrant.
the lawsuit adds to ongoing scrutiny of ring's privacy practices. earlier, ring canceled a partnership with flock safety after backlash over a super bowl ad for its search party feature. that feature used ai to find lost pets but raised concerns about data sharing with agencies like ice. ring founder jamie siminoff cited workload as the reason for canceling the flock deal. amazon has not yet responded to the current lawsuit.
why it matters: the case tests legal limits on ai facial recognition in consumer devices, potentially shaping consent rules for data collection in public spaces.
source: techcrunch ai: amazon faces class action lawsuit over ring facial-recognition feature