Ring collects customer facial biometric data without consent, class action survives dismissal

Summary

A class action lawsuit was filed against Amazon’s Ring video doorbell service by plaintiff Michelle Wise, alleging violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) due to the collection and storage of facial biometric data without consent. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, claims Ring captures and stores facial recognition data from visitors and passersby without their knowledge or consent. On August 3, 2020, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour denied Ring’s motion to dismiss the case, stating it was too early to dismiss given the legal uncertainty surrounding the application of BIPA in such cases. The lawsuit also alleges that Ring shares video footage with employees in an unencrypted manner and previously partnered with law enforcement to match faces with databases, raising privacy concerns. The case follows a precedent set by a $550 million Facebook settlement related to similar biometric data practices.