Ring, a subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc, has suffered a new lawsuit by the hands of an Alabama homeowner. The man claims that Ring’s namesake home security camera holds defective designs. A design that leaves its owners vulnerable to cyberattacks through it.
Hackers Contacting Children Through Ring
The proposed class action was filed on Thursday. John Baker Orange, the man in question, claims that an unknown hacker had recently compromised his Ring camera. Said hacker was capable of viewing Orange’s children, aged 7, 9, and 10, respectively, playing basketball in the driveway. Through the camera’s speaker system, the hacker encouraged the children to come closer to the camera.
Having reportedly paid $249 for the camera back in July, Orange stated that the cameras only work when they are connected to the internet. He considers them “fatally flawed” due to the camera not having any countermeasures to cyberattack. This comes in contrast to Ring’s own assurances that the camera offers “Peace of mind” as well as “Smart security here, there, everywhere.”
The Legal Charges
As one would expect from the debacle, the Santa Monica-based company had its spokeswomen decline on commenting, citing that it doesn’t discuss legal matters.
The complaint was filed in the Los Angeles Federal Court and sought unspecified damages for the Californian Ring, as well as the Seattle-based Amazon. The complaint further mandates improved security to both existing and future Ring Cameras across the world.
Orange’s lawyer, John Yanchunis, gave a public statement regarding this matter. He explained that a company selling devices that are claimed to protect the occupants of a household shouldn’t become a potential avenue of attack for its occupants.
A Brief History
This complaint follows several similar reported incidents of hackers gaining access to homes by way of its Ring cameras. One such case included, was of a man who repeatedly insulted an 8-year-old girl from Mississippi by calling her racial slurs. For reasons unknown, the man also claimed that he was Santa Claus. As always, the motivations of some hackers are indeed quite alien.
The main product of Ring is a doorbell that holds a security camera as well. With this, homeowners are capable of monitoring and communicating with the house’s visitors. They are capable of doing this via a phone app, even if they weren’t at home themselves.
Amazon reportedly bought Ring, back in April of 2018. The “meager” buying price for the company totaled a staggering $839 million. Amazon paid this in cash.
