Amazon and Ring are now defendants in a class-action security lawsuit filed last week. The lawsuit alleges that Amazon could have done more to protect Ring customers from security breaches. The lawsuit is spearheaded by plaintiff John Orange, who hails from Alabama.
Ring, a video security system founded by CEO Jamie Siminoff in 2013 and acquired by Amazon last year, provides customers with economic indoor and outdoor camera surveillance. That security was compromised, as evidenced by several widely-publicized instances of hackers communicating with startled children through home video systems. Orange’s family fell prey to one of these hacks.
The lawsuit accuses Amazon and Ring of privacy violations and breach of contract, among other offenses. It also suggests that Ring could have safeguarded against attacks by offering multi-factor authentication, a security method requiring users to verify authenticity by providing more than one unique method of proving identity. While Ring has declined to discuss legal matters, its statement to ABC News indicated that it did not suffer a breach. Further, it has previously countered that weak and used passwords are breeding grounds for hackers.
The class-action lawsuit is not the first time that Ring has come under fire. In January, Intercept reported that Ring employees were accused of violating the privacy of users by accessing their video and audio feeds.
The lawsuit seeks $5 million and heightened security measures for defendants. If the lawsuit advances, the burden of proof will lie with plaintiffs, who must show that Ring could have intervened to prevent the alleged incidents.
