Some Ring customers to receive portion of $5.6M in refunds as part of privacy settlement

Some customers who purchased Ring security cameras will be eligible to receive refunds from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The FTC said this week that the refunds will collectively amount to over $5.6 million and be spread among more than 117,000 individuals. The money will be sent in the form of PayPal payments.

Customers who will receive the refunds include those "who had certain types of Ring devices such as indoor cameras, during periods when the FTC alleges unauthorized users may have had access to customer videos," according to the agency.

The refunds are linked to a settlement between the FTC and Ring, which is owned by Amazon. The e-commerce giant acquired Ring in 2018 for $1 billion.

The agreement between Ring and the FTC, which occurred last year, resolved allegations that the agency lodged against Ring that it had "allowed employees and contractors to access consumers’ private videos and failed to implement security protections, enabling hackers to take control of consumers’ accounts, cameras, and videos," according to the FTC.

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The home security technology company was hit by an FTC complaint in May of last year.

"Our focus has been and remains on delivering products and features our customers love, while upholding our commitment to protect their privacy and security," Ring said in a statement to FOX Business regarding the settlement. "Ring promptly addressed these issues on its own years ago, well before the FTC began its inquiry. While we disagree with the FTC’s allegations and deny violating the law, this settlement resolves this matter so we can focus on innovating on behalf of our customers."

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In a May 2023 blog post about the settlement, Ring had argued the FTC "mischaracterize[d] our security practices" and "ignore[d] the many protections we have in place for our customers." It also highlighted its use of two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA and other measures. 

Ring had to implement a specific "privacy and security program" and delete certain pre-2018 data under the same settlement that prompted the refunds, according to the FTC.

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The agency urged affected Ring customers to accept their refunds before 30 days elapses. It also noted that it "never requires people to pay money or provide account information to get a refund."