Amazon's Ring faces a new lawsuit alleging its 'Familiar Faces' facial recognition feature violates privacy by collecting and storing images without consent. The plaintiff seeks class-action status and at least $5 million in damages, adding to Ring's history of privacy concerns.
This lawsuit highlights ongoing concerns about the privacy implications of AI-powered facial recognition technology used in consumer devices and the potential for significant legal and financial repercussions for companies deploying such features without explicit consent.
Amazon's Ring doorbell cameras are facing a new lawsuit filed by a Virginia resident, Charles Sigwalt, who alleges that the company's "Familiar Faces" facial recognition feature violates privacy by collecting and storing images of individuals without their consent. The suit, filed in federal court in Seattle, seeks class-action status and at least $5 million in damages. The "Familiar Faces" feature uses AI to identify and remember people, allowing for named notifications when they return. This lawsuit adds to a history of privacy concerns surrounding Ring, including a $5.8 million FTC settlement in 2023 for allegations of employees improperly accessing customer video data and past criticism over partnerships with law enforcement and a service that activated its neighborhood camera network. The lawsuit aims to represent all people in the US who had their facial recognition data collected, retained, and otherwise used by the Familiar Faces feature. Damages sought will far exceed $5 million, considering statutory damages for each class member and the aggregate loss of value of biometric information.
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