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Amazon to Pay Over $30 Million in FTC Settlements Over Ring, Alexa Privacy Violations
Background of the Lawsuit
Amazon has settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to pay over $30 million over alleged privacy violations involving its Ring doorbell camera and Alexa voice assistant. The FTC alleged that Amazon violated federal law by failing to disclose certain security flaws in the Ring products and by making false claims about the privacy features of Alexa.
Details of the Settlement
As part of the settlement, Amazon will pay $22.5 million in civil penalties and $7.5 million in consumer refunds. The company will also be required to implement a number of changes to its privacy practices, including:
- Providing consumers with clearer disclosures about Ring security features
- Obtaining consumers' consent before sharing their personal information with third-party apps
- Providing consumers with more control over their Alexa data
Statement from Amazon
In a statement, Amazon said that it is “committed to protecting our customers' privacy” and that it has “already taken steps to address the issues raised in the FTC complaint.” The company said that it will continue to cooperate with the FTC and will “make further improvements to our privacy practices over time.”