An FTC one-two punch leaves Amazon and Ring with a $30 million fine
The FTC is continuing to put the pressure on Amazon's business practices. Deposit Photos The Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing attempt to rein in Amazon entered a new phase this week, with the regulatory organization recommending both the company and its home surveillance system subsidiary Ring receive multimillion dollar fines in response to alleged monopolistic practices and data privacy violations. According to an FTC statement released on Wednesday, Amazon disregarded children’s privacy laws by allegedly illegally retaining personal data and voice recordings via its Alexa software. Meanwhile, in a separate, same-day announcement, the commission claims Ring employees failed to stop hackers from gaining access to users’ cameras, while also illegally surveilling customers themselves. Amazon relies on its Alexa service and Echo devices to collect massive amounts of consumer data, including geolocation data and voice...