Stephen Schenck / Android Authority
TL;DR Amazon’s new “Familiar Faces” feature gives Ring cameras and doorbells facial recognition powers, and people aren’t too happy about it.
Both Ring users and non-users are uneasy about the feature because of potential legal, security, and privacy risks.
The feature won’t launch in states with strict facial recognition laws like Illinois and Texas.
Amazon recently announced a new facial recognition feature for Ring doorbells and cameras called “Familiar Faces.” The feature isn’t even out yet, but it’s already raising eyebrows because of how popular Ring security cameras have become over the years.
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Familiar Faces lets you tag people you know using facial recognition. So the next time your neighbor, a friend, or the mail carrier walks by your door, you’ll get personalized notifications and can quickly find footage of them in the Ring app. Basically, your Ring camera will remember faces you’ve labeled and show that context across your videos and notifications.
The feature rolls out in December for new Ring doorbells and cameras. It’s off by default, and only available to those who pay for a Ring Home Premium subscription.
Why are people freaked out? What’s really creeping people out is the privacy nightmare the new feature could create. A Ring spokesperson told The Washington Post that users themselves are responsible for following any state laws requiring consent before identifying people with facial recognition. That itself is a major gray area. You could end up breaking the law without even realizing it.
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