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Amazon and its Ring doorbell cameras are back in the legal spotlight and given the company's expanding privacy rap sheet, this latest lawsuit could be its most damaging yet.
Virginia resident Charles Sigwalt has filed a federal class action suit in Seattle, alleging that Ring's AI-driven Familiar Faces feature secretly harvested and stored facial recognition data from unsuspecting passersby — all without their knowledge or consent.
The suit is seeking upwards of $5 million in damages on behalf of the class. It comes on the heels of a $5.8 million FTC settlement in 2023 stemming from employee surveillance allegations, and adds fresh fuel to longstanding concerns over Ring's law enforcement data-sharing practices.
What is the 'Familiar Faces' feature?
Ring's optional 'Familiar Faces' feature uses artificial intelligence to identify and remember individuals who appear on camera, sending notifications that include specific names when recognized people approach a property.
While the feature is opt-in for Ring device owners, the lawsuit argues that the people being identified and stored in the system: passers-by, neighbors, delivery workers, etc, never agreed to be part of it.
According to the suit, those captured "did not consent to have their privacy rights violated at the entrance way."
What does the lawsuit claim?
The suit was filed by Charles Sigwalt, a Virginia resident who says he was among those captured by the feature without his consent. First reported by the Economic Times, the lawsuit was filed on Monday and alleges that "millions of other Americans passed by a Ring security camera and unknowingly had their facial recognition information collected."
Sigwalt states that Amazon's conduct "represents a profound privacy failure for millions of people who are now being tracked by Amazon." At the time of writing, Amazon has declined to comment.
The lawsuit seeks at least $5 million in damages for the class, with additional unspecified damages for all affected.
What happens next?
The case is currently before federal court in Seattle. No trial date has been set, and Amazon has not yet responded publicly to the allegations.
Given Ring's history of privacy settlements, the outcome of this lawsuit will be closely watched by both privacy advocates and the millions of households that use Ring devices across the U.S. We'll keep you updated as the case develops.
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