Amazon’s Ring Launches Controversial AI Facial-Recognition Feature for Doorbells
A new facial-recognition tool called “Familiar Faces” is rolling out to video doorbell owners across the United States. The feature, first announced in September, identifies frequent visitors by allowing users to build a catalog of up to 50 faces. After someone is labeled in the app, the doorbell recognizes them as they approach the camera. Then, instead of a generic alert, users receive personalized notifications such as “Mom at Front Door.”
Although this tool may seem convenient, it has already drawn criticism from consumer protection groups and a U.S. senator. Even so, supporters argue it helps cut down unwanted alerts, especially when people prefer not to see notifications about their own movements. Users can create alerts on a per-person basis, and they must manually enable the feature within the app’s settings.
Faces can be named through the Event History or a new Familiar Faces library. Once tagged, names appear in notifications, on the app timeline, and in Event History. Labels can be edited, and the system lets users merge or delete entries. The company says face data is encrypted and claims that unlabeled faces are erased after 30 days.
Questions Over Surveillance and Security
Despite these assurances, the feature raises significant privacy concerns. The company has previously partnered with law enforcement, which allowed police and fire departments to request footage from the community app. Moreover, it recently entered a partnership with a major surveillance camera provider used by police and federal agencies. Although one agency listed in reports denied involvement, privacy advocates remain uneasy. And because past security failures exposed user data and even allowed broad internal access to customer videos, skepticism continues to grow.
Consequently, privacy advocates urge users to think carefully before labeling anyone with their real name. While the convenience may be appealing, not every tool needs an AI-driven expansion. Furthermore, recent backlash includes calls from Sen. Ed Markey to halt the feature. Privacy laws are also preventing its launch in several states and cities.
In addition, the company responded to questions raised by advocacy groups by saying biometric data is processed in the cloud but not used to train AI models. It also stated it cannot identify every location where an individual has appeared, even if asked by law enforcement. However, observers question this claim because a separate pet-tracking tool already searches across networks of cameras.
Growing Demands for Oversight
As concerns mount, privacy experts are pushing regulators to act. Reached for comment, EFF’s Staff Attorney, F. Mario Trujillo, said, “Knocking on a door, or even just walking in front of it, shouldn’t require abandoning your privacy. With this feature going live, it’s more important than ever that state privacy regulators step in to investigate, protect people’s privacy, and test the strength of their biometric privacy laws.”
Although the technology promises convenience, the debate over its implications continues. And as more smart-home devices adopt AI features, many argue that meaningful oversight must grow alongside them.
