Amazon is being sued by dozens of customers who accuse it of violating their privacy after they received threats, racist comments, and blackmail from hackers who breached Ring cameras .
A new lawsuit, which combines several cases filed in recent years, claims that lax security measures at Ring allowed hackers to take control of these devices.
The lawsuit builds on previous cases filed by more than 30 people in 15 families who say devices were hacked and used to harass them. In response to those attacks, the company “blamed the victims and offered inadequate answers and false explanations,” the lawsuit alleges. The plaintiffs also allege that the company failed to adequately update its security measures after the breaches.
The individuals who could benefit from the lawsuit include the families named in the case, as well as other Ring users who have been victims of the breach. The lawsuit also covers tens of thousands of customers who purchased Ring devices between 2015 and 2019, even if they were not breached.
According to the complaints, hackers who breached Ring cameras insulted, demanded ransom, or threatened the owners.
One Ring user said that while watching TV at home one afternoon, he suddenly heard someone asking him through the camera what he was watching. Another user claims that a stranger spoke to his children through the device, commenting on their play and encouraging them to approach the camera.
In another case, an elderly woman reportedly heard the phrase “tonight you will die” and various sexual comments on her camera. Due to the confusion caused by the hack, the woman was eventually forced to return to her family, as she no longer felt safe where she lived.
The company has not announced who is behind the hacks, and victims say they still don't know who accessed their homes through the devices.
The lawsuit alleges that Ring was the victim of a breach in 2019, and that stolen credentials from that breach may have been used to hack into users’ cameras. This means that the breaches may have been caused by the company itself. The lawsuit also said that, at present, Ring “has not adequately improved its security practices or adequately responded to the ongoing threats that its products pose to its customers.” Security and privacy experts have also criticized Ring’s response.
