Amazon has agreed to pay a $31 million penalty in response to two civil complaints made by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The charges against the retail giant involved allegations of invading the privacy of its female employees through Ring cameras and failing to delete recordings of children on its Alexa devices. The FTC found evidence to support claims that Amazon had been recording the activities of its female employees in their bedrooms and bathrooms using Ring cameras. Additionally, the company was found in violation of privacy and security laws by failing to delete voice and location data from recordings associated with children, spanning several years.
As a result of the charges, the US regulator imposed a fine of $5.8 million for the actions related to Ring cameras and an additional $25 million for the failure to delete recordings involving children. Amazon has agreed to compensate victims through refunds and shopping vouchers. The allegations initially surfaced in 2018 when a female employee discovered that a male colleague had been accessing a network of Ring cameras to invade the privacy of their female coworkers in work areas, bathrooms, and restrooms.
The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection revealed that 55,000 Ring customers experienced serious breaches of their accounts, including 910 cases of deep intrusions such as unauthorized access to live feeds and stored videos. The agency cited the distressing case of an 87-year-old woman residing in an assisted living facility who was physically threatened and subjected to harassment after a hacker gained control of her Ring camera. The actions of those who install Ring cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms can only be described as disturbing and indicative of a deeply troubling mindset.
In an attempt to avoid further damage to its reputation, Amazon acknowledged that its employees and certain policies were at fault. Consequently, Amazon agreed to pay $31 million as compensation for breaching the privacy of its employees and violating the privacy of children using its Alexa devices. The settlement highlights the importance of protecting personal data and respecting privacy laws, especially in the age of technology where data breaches and privacy violations are becoming increasingly common. It is essential for companies to implement strict policies and measures to safeguard the privacy of their customers and employees.
Key points:
– Amazon has agreed to pay a $31 million penalty in response to two civil complaints made by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
– The charges against Amazon involved allegations of invading the privacy of its female employees through Ring cameras and failing to delete recordings of children on its Alexa devices.
– The FTC found evidence to support claims that Amazon had been recording the activities of its female employees in their bedrooms and bathrooms using Ring cameras.
– Amazon has agreed to compensate victims through refunds and shopping vouchers.
– The settlement highlights the importance of protecting personal data and respecting privacy laws, especially in the age of technology where data breaches and privacy violations are becoming increasingly common.