Ring Accused Of Privacy Breach By FTC.
Ring Accused Of Privacy Breach – Cloud doorbell manufacturer Ring has been accused by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission of illegal surveillance and failing to prevent hacking.
The allegations highlight the importance of secure systems, secure procedures and absolute integrity of business models for security solutions driving through the cloud.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, Ring compromised customer privacy by allowing employees and contractors to access consumers’ private videos and failed to implement basic privacy and security protections – this allowed hackers to seize accounts, cameras, and videos.
FTC also said Ring failed to take any steps until January 2018 to adequately notify customers or obtain consent for extensive human review of customers’ private video recordings for various purposes, including training algorithms. Ring buried information in its terms of service and privacy policy, claiming it had a right to use recordings obtained in connection with its services for “product improvement and development,” according to the complaint.
FTC’s proposed order requires Ring to delete data products such as data, models, and algorithms derived from videos it unlawfully reviewed. Ring will also be required to implement a privacy and security program with novel safeguards on human review of videos, as well as other stringent security controls, such as multi-factor authentication for both employee and customer accounts.
“Ring’s disregard for privacy and security exposed consumers to spying and harassment,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC’s order makes clear that putting profit over privacy doesn’t pay.”
In relation to the case, the FTC announced a $US5.8m settlement with Ring’s parent Amazon over the privacy violations. Amazon also agreed to pay $25m to settle allegations it violated children’s privacy rights when it failed to delete Alexa recordings at the request of parents and kept them longer than necessary, according to a separate court filing in federal court in Seattle.
Amazon, which purchased Ring in April 2018, pledged to make changes to its practices.
“While we disagree with the FTC’s claims regarding both Alexa and Ring, and deny violating the law, these settlements put these matters behind us,” Amazon said in a statement.
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“Ring Accused Of Privacy Breach By FTC.”
