Amazon faces lawsuit over Ring facial recognition software

MoneyWatch Amazon faces lawsuit over Ring facial recognition software .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Mary Cunningham Mary Cunningham Reporter, MoneyWatch Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. She previously worked at "60 Minutes," CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program. Read Full Bio Mary Cunningham June 2, 2026 / 4:25 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A Virginia resident is suing Amazon for privacy violations after the e-commerce company's Ring video doorbell camera allegedly used facial recognition technology to record and store images of his face without his consent.Charles Sigwalt, who filed a lawsuit on Monday in Seattle federal court, where Amazon has one of its headquarters, alleges that Ring's "Familiar Faces" feature uses facial-recognition software to scan anyone who passes by the doorbell camera and categorizes them using artificial intelligence. The system then collects a "face print" that allows it to re-identify the person, according to his complaint, which seeks class-action status. "When plaintiffs and class members entered the homes and businesses of places which had Ring cameras that deployed Familiar Faces, they did not consent to have their privacy rights violated at the entrance way," the suit alleges. Sigwalt alleges Ring collected his facial recognition data without warning while he was visiting friends' and family members' homes. He believes the company is still storing his biometric data, according to the lawsuit. Amazon declined to comment on the suit. "Familiar Faces" draws criticism Ring introduced the "Familiar Faces" feature in September 2025, billing it as a way for owners of its doorbell camera to receive more personalized alerts when someone arrives at their residence. Instead of seeing "Person at Front Door," for example, they might receive an alert with a name, such as "John at F...