If you have a video doorbell, you may want to check what features you have enabled. Indeed, Ring and Google are currently facing a lawsuit over a facial recognition feature built into the security cameras and video doorbells they offer for purchase. The feature, called Familiar Faces on Ring devices and Familiar Face Detection on Google devices, is designed to recognize people you have saved in your device settings.
While this feature seems useful, the big problem here is that a new proposed class action lawsuit against Amazon in June claims that Ring collected facial recognition information from anyone who walked in front of these cameras. (via CNET) Because people are often unaware that their faces are being recorded, the data was collected without their consent, which is a huge invasion of privacy. Some places, like Illinois and Texas, don’t allow features like familiar faces to be enabled, even if devices support them.
The fact that these video cameras are almost always watching is just one of many uncomfortable truths about using Ring cameras. Plus, this is far from the first time we’ve seen Ring pick on people’s bad sides. Earlier this year we saw people getting rid of their Ring cameras.
How to turn off familiar faces
Ring devices have the feature disabled by default. However, if you have it enabled or just want to be sure you haven’t enabled it, open the Ring app, tap the menu button, and go to the Pro features. From there, select Manage People under Familiar Faces, then tap the gear icon in the upper right corner of the Familiar Faces library. This will show you which compatible Ring devices have the feature enabled and you can disable the feature as you see fit.
You can also delete any saved information already stored in your library by opening the Familiar Faces profile and then tapping the Delete icon in the upper right corner. Ring notes that deleting all saved data will permanently delete it, along with any images used to identify that person. If you have stored profiles of familiar faces, you will probably want to delete them manually. It’s also worth noting that turning off familiar faces won’t stop your Ring from alerting you to people approaching your home.
Changing the setting in Google requires using the Google Home app. In the app, tap your profile photo, then go to Home Settings > Subscriptions > Google Home Premium > Familiar Face Detection. You can then disable the feature for each of your cameras here. For older setups that use the Nest app, go to Settings > Familiar Faces, then turn off familiar face detection. You can also clear the entire Nest Faces library from the same familiar faces detection menu if you want to delete saved profiles and ID snapshots.
Why Amazon and Google are being sued
Google and Amazon are being sued because these features allow the recording and storage of biometric data necessary for facial recognition without the user’s consent. At least that’s what one of the proposed class-action lawsuits filed against Google on June 29 alleges. According to this lawsuit, Nest cameras collect and store facial information from people who never opted in. Another lawsuit filed shortly after the first made similar allegations.
Separately, a lawsuit filed against Ring by Charles Sigwalt, a Virginia resident, claims that Ring cameras located in homes owned by friends and family collected and stored images of his face without his consent. Sigwalt is currently seeking to upgrade the lawsuit to a class action for at least $5 million in damages. Ring’s Familiar Faces feature is optional and disabled by default, but once enabled, a compatible camera can detect faces, add them to the owner’s familiar faces library, and even assign a name to the image.
These two features work similarly and allow the user to capture images of people they recognize and then name them. The general idea here is definitely useful, especially if you want the system to recognize a trusted friend or family member, as this can then help reduce notifications about someone approaching your home. However, capturing and retaining this type of information raises significant privacy concerns, especially when done without the person’s consent, and that’s one of the reasons we’ve seen so much concern about Meta potentially adding facial recognition to its smart glasses.
