Amazon faces lawsuit over Ring facial recognition software

Amazon is facing a lawsuit from a Virginia resident, Charles Sigwalt, who is alleging privacy violations related to the use of facial recognition technology in the company’s Ring video doorbell camera. The lawsuit, filed in a Seattle federal court, claims that Ring’s “Familiar Faces” feature utilizes facial recognition software to scan individuals passing by the doorbell camera and categorizes them using artificial intelligence. This process involves collecting a “face print” that allows the system to re-identify the person without their consent.

According to the complaint seeking class-action status, when individuals entered homes or businesses with Ring cameras equipped with the Familiar Faces feature, their privacy rights were violated at the entrance. Sigwalt asserts that his facial recognition data was collected without warning while visiting friends and family, and he believes that the company continues to store his biometric data.

Ring introduced the Familiar Faces feature in September 2025, promoting it as a way for users to receive personalized alerts when someone approaches their residence. By learning to recognize friends, family, and frequent visitors over time, the camera can provide more specific alerts with names instead of generic labels. Users have the option to toggle the feature on or off, according to Ring.

Criticism of the Familiar Faces technology has been voiced by groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which argues that it infringes on privacy rights and raises concerns about potential misuse of biometric data for mass surveillance or in the event of a data breach. Senator Edward Markey has also expressed opposition to the technology, warning about the unauthorized collection of individuals’ facial data.

This lawsuit adds to Amazon’s legal troubles involving its Ring product line. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission filed a suit against the company for allegedly granting workers and contractors access to personal videos recorded by Ring without adequate security measures, leading to instances of hacking and privacy breaches. Amazon settled the case for $5.8 million.

More recently, Amazon faced backlash and terminated a partnership with security technology company Flock Safety following concerns raised by a Super Bowl commercial for Ring that sparked fears of unwarranted surveillance. Amazon acquired Ring in 2018 for $1 billion.

As the legal battle unfolds, Amazon has yet to comment on the lawsuit filed by Charles Sigwalt. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the use of facial recognition technology in consumer devices and the protection of individual privacy rights.