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ZDNET's key takeaways
Amazon has launched its new Familiar Faces feature.
It lets Ring users save people's faces to a library in the app.
Critics argue it's a dangerous violation of privacy.
Amazon has launched a new feature that enables Ring doorbell cameras to recognize and catalog faces of people using AI.
While the company is promoting the technology as a convenient way for homeowners to customize notifications and boost security, some are calling it a dangerous violation of privacy and a stepping stone to mass surveillance.
Introduced in September, the Familiar Faces feature is not turned on by default. But once Ring users opt in, it can automatically scan the faces of guests and passersby using facial-recognition technology, or FRT. FRT works by scanning your face and, with the help of AI, translating it into a unique patchwork of numbers, also known as a "faceprint."
Also: Ring vs. Blink: I compared the two most popular security camera brands, and here's who wins
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