Amazon subsidiary Ring is recalling hundreds of thousands of video doorbells after customer reports of fires in the security systems . The potential fire hazard affects about 350,000 2nd-generation Ring doorbells sold in the U.S. and about 8,700 more sold in Canada, according to a notice released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) yesterday. The $100 doorbells were sold on Ring’s official website and on Amazon between June 2020 and October 2020, according to the CPSC.
The CPSC statement says the video doorbell's battery can overheat when the wrong screws are used for installation, posing a fire and burn hazard. The statement also notes that Ring has received 23 reports of video doorbell fires and property damage, as well as eight reports of minor burns. Ring has not yet commented on the incidents.
Customers can check if their video doorbells are affected by the recall by visiting the company's official website, and entering the model and serial number listed on the back of the device.
As editionCNN reports, Ring, which was acquired by Amazon in 2018, has faced a lot of criticism in the past. Last year, it announced partnerships with more than 400 police departments across the US to give law enforcement easier access to video recorded by its doorbells. The partnerships allowed police to request video recordings for specific locations to help with various investigations. The company's move sparked criticism from privacy advocates.
Additionally, in September, Ring introduced the Always Home Cam – a $250 drone with a connected camera that can automatically fly around your home and stream video to your smartphone .
