Yes, the Ring camera privacy settlement is real

VERIFY often fact-checks settlement notices so our readers know whether they are legitimate or fraudulent. 

Recent social media posts claim some people with Ring cameras will get payments as part of a $5.6 million privacy breach settlement. Ring is most commonly known for its doorbell cameras, but the company also produces a wide range of products for indoor use. 

Google search data also show many people are looking for information about the settlement and how to get their payment. 

THE QUESTION

Is the Ring camera privacy settlement real?

THE SOURCES

• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Ring
• Court records

THE ANSWER

Yes, the Ring camera privacy settlement is real.

Sign up for the VERIFY Fast Facts newsletter here. 

WHAT WE FOUND

More than 100,000 Ring customers are receiving refunds totaling more than $5.6 million as part of a privacy settlement, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said in a press release on April 23.

Eligible Ring customers should not need to submit a claim to receive their payment. That’s because FTC court orders typically require defendants, like Ring, to provide a list of affected customers, as well as their contact information and how much they paid for the products. The agency uses that information to send refunds, according to its website. 

People who are eligible for refunds as part of the Ring settlement should have already received an email.

The settlement comes after the FTC’s 2023 complaint accusing Amazon-owned Ring of allowing its employees and contractors to access customers’ private video recordings without their consent, and failing to implement other security safeguards to keep hackers out of customers’ accounts.

Ring acknowledged that it had reached a settlement with the FTC on May 31, 2023. The company said at the time that it disagrees with the FTC’s allegations and denies violating the law, but added that “this settlement resolves this matter so we can focus on innovating on behalf of our customers.”

As a result of the settlement, the FTC says it is sending payments via PayPal to 117,044 people who had certain types of Ring devices, including indoor cameras, “during periods when the FTC alleges unauthorized users may have had access to customer videos.”

Payment amounts will vary from person-to-person. The FTC has a payment map that shows the number of recipients in each state and how much money they’ll receive. That map also shows the median payment for eligible customers is $48. 

When the FTC uses PayPal to send refunds, people will get an email from subscribe@subscribe.FTC.gov before receiving a payment, the agency says. Once payments are issued, PayPal will email recipients about their refunds. 

The FTC says people should redeem their PayPal payments within 30 days of receiving them. 

People who have any questions about their payment should contact the refund administrator, Rust Consulting, by calling 1-833-637-4884. 

TEGNA staff contributed to this report.