Amazon's Ring Sued Over Facial Recognition Feature, Latest Privacy Concern for Doorbell Camera Maker

A Virginia resident has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, alleging that its Ring doorbell cameras unlawfully collected and stored facial data through a built-in recognition feature, intensifying scrutiny over the company’s home surveillance technology.

The plaintiff, Charles Sigwalt, is seeking class-action status in a federal court in Seattle, claiming that Ring devices installed at friends and family members’ homes captured his facial images without consent and retained them using a feature called “Familiar Faces.”

According to the complaint, the optional tool uses artificial intelligence to identify and remember individuals who appear repeatedly on camera. When those individuals return to a property, the system can send notifications identifying them by name.

Sigwalt alleges the feature violates privacy rights by storing biometric data of passersby who never agreed to such collection. The suit argues that “millions of other Americans passed by a Ring security camera and unknowingly had their facial recognition information collected,” and claims that such individuals “did not consent to have their privacy rights violated at the entrance way.”

The plaintiff is seeking at least $5 million in damages for the proposed class, along with unspecified additional compensation for those affected.

Amazon declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The case adds to a series of privacy controversies surrounding Ring, the home security unit Amazon acquired in 2018 for about $1 billion.

Earlier this year, Ring faced backlash over a Super Bowl advertisement promoting a feature designed to help users locate lost pets through its neighborhood camera network. Critics raised concerns that such capabilities could be misused for broader surveillance of communities. Following the criticism, Ring also ended a partnership with Flock Safety, a company that provides license plate readers and surveillance tools used by law enforcement.

In 2023, the US Federal Trade Commission reached a $5.8 million settlement with Ring over allegations that employees and contractors had unrestricted access to customer video feeds, including sensitive footage from inside private homes. Amazon denied any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

In 2022, US Senator Ed Markey also accused Ring of privacy violations linked to partnerships with law enforcement agencies, alleging that they enabled access to user footage without proper consent.

In the latest filing, Sigwalt argues that Amazon’s practices represent “a profound privacy failure” affecting millions of people who may be unknowingly tracked through its surveillance network.

For any enquiries or information, contact ask@tlr.ae or call us on +971 52 644 3004. Follow The Law Reporters on WhatsApp Channels.