Amazon's Ring gave workers access to customer videos, FTC suit alleges

Amazon’s Ring doorbell camera is marketed as a safety device, but a new lawsuit claims the company gave its employees and contractors “unfettered” access to personal videos, violating customer privacy. 

In one case, a Ring employee “viewed thousands of video recordings belonging to at least 81 unique female users,” according to the lawsuit filed Wednesday by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. That same worker used “prurient” searches for cameras located in “intimate” spaces, such as “Master Bedroom,” and spied for months, the FTC claims. 

Amazon settled with the FTC for $5.8 million, according to a separate filing Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

In a statement to CBS News, Amazon said its Ring division “promptly addressed these issues on its own years ago, well before the FTC began its inquiry.”

“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,” the company said.