Description

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced that it will distribute $5.6 million in refunds to Ring users affected by privacy and security issues. The refunds come as part of a settlement following a complaint from May 2023, which alleged that Ring failed to implement adequate security measures to protect users' devices from unauthorized access. Ring, an Amazon subsidiary, offers smart home security products such as video doorbells, security cameras, alarm hubs, and motion-activated lights. The FTC complaint highlighted that Ring allowed its employees and customer support agents, including third-party contractors, unrestricted access to users' devices, potentially compromising their privacy. One of the key issues highlighted in the complaint was Ring's failure to implement basic security measures, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), until 2019. This lack of MFA made it easier for attackers to hijack user accounts and access private video feeds through credential stuffing and brute-force attacks. As part of the settlement, the FTC is distributing payments through PayPal to over 117,000 affected Ring consumers. The agency stated that eligible customers were identified based on data provided by Ring. Customers have 30 days to redeem the funds.