Federal Trade Commission He said This week, some people who bought some home security cameras made by Ring, which is owned by Amazon, will be eligible for a refund for their purchase. The payments, totaling more than $5.6 million, are part of the settlement between Ring and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over accusations that the company failed to protect customer accounts.
Here's what you should know.
What is the subject of the lawsuit?
The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Ring last May, accusing the company of allowing employees and contractors to access customers' video footage. The agency said in its complaint that Ring used the videos to train computer algorithms without first obtaining customers' consent. Ring also failed to provide adequate security, making customer accounts, videos and cameras more vulnerable to hacking, the FTC said.
The FTC and Ring reached a settlement that month. As part of the agreement, Ring paid a settlement that will be used to recover customers' money, deleted all private videos it shouldn't have access to, and created a privacy and security program. The FTC is now using the Money Ring payment service to send 117,044 PayPal payments to affected customers.
Ring did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in A statement After the settlement, Ring said it had addressed issues related to its security and privacy practices “long before” the FTC's lawsuit, and that the agency “mischaracterized our security practices; ignores the many protections we provide to our customers.”
How do I know if I qualify for a refund?
If you had a Ring account and certain types of Ring devices, such as the Stick Up Cam and Indoor Cam models, before February 1, 2018, you're eligible for a refund, according to Court order.
The defendant — in this case, Ring — is typically asked to provide a list of customers, their contact information, and the amount they paid. The FTC will use the information to send payments.
Eligible customers must have already received an email from the FTC.
How much will I receive?
Your payment depends on the type of Ring device you have and the time you've had your account.
I received a PayPal payment from the FTC. How do I know if it's real?
If you're eligible for a refund, you should have received an email from the agency ([email protected]) before Tuesday. Since payments were issued on Tuesday, you should have received another email from PayPal regarding your refund. You must get your payment back by May 22, or it will be returned to the FTC.
If you would like the FTC to send you a check instead, or have any other questions about payment, you can speak with a refund administrator, Rust Consulting, by calling 1-833-637-4884. You can also email your request to [email protected].
