in 2018 in a $1 billion deal — is used by millions as a form of security, but the FTC alleged Ring employees had unrestricted access to footage on customers' home security systems.
"Ring promptly addressed these issues on its own years ago, well before the FTC began its inquiry," a Ring spokesperson told Insider."While we disagree with the FTC's allegations and deny violating the law, this settlement resolves this matter so we can focus on innovating on behalf of our customers."
In one instance, a Ring employee viewed thousands of recordings from at least 81 female Ring camera users between June and August 2017,"Only after the supervisor noticed that the male employee was only viewing videos of 'pretty girls' did the supervisor escalate the report of misconduct," the FTC alleged in its complaint, obtained by CNN."Only at that point did Ring review a portion of the employee's activity and, ultimately, terminate his employment.
The FTC further alleged that employees of a third-party contractor in Ukraine also had access to customer footage with little restrictions before July 2017, according to CNBC.