Amazon Ring, a maker of video doorbells and home security cameras acquired by Amazon in 2018, discloses in its privacy notice and CCPA disclosures that it collects broad categories of personal data including video/audio recordings, identifiers, and in some cases government IDs, and that it uses automated technologies and AI features such as facial recognition. Ring's history includes a 2023 FTC enforcement action over employee access to customer videos and undisclosed use of footage to train algorithms, alongside a multi-year record of expanding, retracting, and reinstating tools that let law-enforcement agencies request user video. As assessed by the FTC and reported in ongoing litigation, the company's practices around biometric data collection and law-enforcement data sharing remain subjects of active regulatory and class-action scrutiny as of mid-2026.
TRACK RECORD
2 ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
[2024-04-23]
In April 2024 the FTC began distributing more than $5.6 million in refunds via 117,044 payments to Ring customers affected by the 2023 settlement over unauthorized access to customer videos.
In 2023 the FTC reached a settlement with Ring requiring it to pay $5.8 million and to delete data, models, and algorithms derived from videos the agency alleged were unlawfully reviewed by employees and contractors.
The FTC's 2023 complaint noted that Ring marketed its indoor security cameras, which record audio and video inside homes, with imagery showing a camera monitoring a child's bedroom.
Ring's CCPA/state-privacy disclosures state that personal information collected includes identifiers such as name, address, IP address, government-issued identifiers, and information that may reveal age, gender, or other protected classifications.
The FTC's 2023 complaint against Ring identifies the company as 'California-based Ring LLC, which was purchased by Amazon in February 2018,' documenting the parent-subsidiary relationship.
Ring's privacy notice identifies 'Ring LLC and our affiliates' as the entities responsible for processing personal data, while noting that the specific Ring entity acting as data controller may vary depending on the user's location.
The FTC's 2024 refund press release stated that Ring's alleged privacy failures involved using customer videos to train algorithms without consent, in addition to allowing broad employee and contractor access to those videos.
Reporting on Ring's 2025 'Community Requests' feature describes user-submitted video, when shared in response to a police request, being routed into and stored within a digital evidence database operated by law-enforcement technology company Axon.
Ring's privacy notice states the company does not sell personal information but discloses that it shares information with third-party service providers and platforms that help operate and deliver its services, and with third parties for advertising tailored to a user's interests.
In 2023 the FTC reached a settlement with Ring requiring it to pay $5.8 million and to delete data, models, and algorithms derived from videos the agency alleged were unlawfully reviewed by employees and contractors.
In January 2024 Ring announced it would discontinue its 'Request for Assistance' tool, which had allowed police and fire departments to publicly request user video through the Neighbors app, following years of criticism from privacy and civil-rights advocates.
In April 2024 the FTC began distributing more than $5.6 million in refunds via 117,044 payments to Ring customers affected by the 2023 settlement over unauthorized access to customer videos.
A June 2026 class action lawsuit alleges that Ring's 'Familiar Faces' facial-recognition feature collects and retains biometric facial-scan data from visitors and passersby without their consent, in a manner the suit contends is deceptive and unfair.
Ring's privacy notice discloses that the company and third-party analytics services use cookies, web beacons, and other automated technologies to collect device IP addresses, device identifiers, browser and device characteristics, and usage patterns across its websites and apps.
Ring's 'Familiar Faces' feature, rolled out in December 2025, uses AI-based facial recognition embedded in Ring cameras to scan and categorize the faces of people who approach a user's home, including visitors who have not opted in.