The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is distributing refunds exceeding $5.6 million to consumers following a settlement with Ring. The settlement addresses allegations that the company allowed employees and contractors to access private consumer videos and failed to implement necessary security measures, which enabled unauthorized access to accounts, cameras, and videos.
In a complaint announced in May 2023, the FTC accused Ring of deceiving consumers by not restricting access to videos, using videos to train algorithms without consent, and neglecting to implement adequate security safeguards. These practices resulted in significant privacy violations for users.
The FTC is issuing 117,044 PayPal payments to consumers who owned certain Ring devices, such as indoor cameras, during the periods when unauthorized access may have occurred. Consumers are advised to redeem their PayPal payments within 30 days. For questions regarding the payments, consumers can contact the refund administrator, Rust Consulting, Inc., at 1-833-637-4884, or visit the FTC website for FAQs about the refund process.
The FTC emphasizes that it never requires individuals to pay money or provide account information to receive a refund.
For more information, visit the FTC’s website here.
