An employee used Amazon’s Ring cameras to spy on female users in their bedrooms and bathrooms, according to US officials. Various staff members used the company’s smart home cameras – intended to allow people to watch their own homes when they are away – to watch people without their knowledge, according to the US Federal Trade Commission. Amazon settled for $5.8 million in this case, which said that one employee had watched 81 female customers and Ring employees through their cameras. The company has been hit by two substantial fines over violating users’ privacy. The other accused of breaching childrens’ rights by failing to delete Alexa recordings, even when requested by their parents, leading to a separate $25 million fine. The FTC is also probing Amazon.com’s $1.7 billion deal to buy iRobot Corp, which was announced in August 2022 in Amazon’s latest push into smart home devices, and has a separate antitrust probe underway into Amazon. Amazon, which purchased Ring in April 2018, pledged to make some changes in its practices. “While we disagree with the FTC’s claims regarding both Alexa and Ring, and deny violating the law, these settlements put these matters behind us,” Amazon.com said in a statement. The FTC said Ring gave employees unrestricted access to customers’ sensitive video data: “As a result of this dangerously overbroad access and lax attitude toward privacy and security, employees and third-party contractors were able to view, download, and transfer customers’ sensitive video data.” In one instance in 2017, an employee of Ring viewed videos made by at least 81 female customers and Ring employees using Ring products. “Undetected by Ring, the employee continued spying for months,” the FTC said. A colleague noticed the misconduct and the employee was eventually terminated, the FTC complaint said. In May 2018, an employee gave information about a customer’s recordings to the person’s ex-husband without consent, the complaint said. In another instance, an employee was found to have given Ring devices to people and then watched their videos without their knowledge, the FTC said. As part of the FTC agreement with Ring, which expires after 20 years, Ring is required to disclose to customers how much access to their data the company and its contractors have. In February 2019, Ring changed its policies so that most Ring employees or contractors could only access a customer’s private video with that person’s consent. FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya told Reuters the settlements should send a message to tech companies that their need to collect data was not an excuse to break the law. “This is a very clear signal to them,” he said. The fines, totaling $30.8 million, represent a fraction of Amazon’s $3.2 billion first-quarter profit. In its complaint against Amazon.com filed in Washington state, the FTC said that it violated rules protecting children’s privacy and rules against deceiving consumers who used Alexa. For example, the FTC complaint says that Amazon told users it would delete voice transcripts and location information upon request, but then failed to do so. “The unlawfully retained voice recordings provided Amazon with a valuable database for training the Alexa algorithm to understand children, benefiting its bottom line at the expense of children’s privacy,” the FTC said. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Twitter’s head of trust and safety resigns from Elon Musk’s platform Mark Zuckerberg reveals new VR headset ahead of Apple AI chatbot taken down after it gives ‘harmful advice’ on eating disorders Twitter’s head of trust and safety resigns from Elon Musk’s platform Mark Zuckerberg reveals new VR headset ahead of Apple AI chatbot taken down after it gives ‘harmful advice’ on eating disorders

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Jay-Z is more than just a father – he’s a style advisor too. The famed 53-year-old may not have gotten one of his daughter’s stamps of approval for his fashion sense in the past, but he has it now. In conversation with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Jay-Z opened up about how Blue Ivy, 11, has warmed up to the idea of him being the “cool” dad. “She used to be frontin’ on me a little bit,” Jay-Z admitted. “But [now] I catch her. I catch her in the corner, you know? Now she asks me, you know, if this is cool, if her sneakers [are cool].” King, 68, inquired further about whether Blue Ivy actually goes to her father for advice on what to wear. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” the “Empire State of Mind” vocalist proclaimed. But while Blue Ivy’s perception of Jay-Z may be on the mend, he explained how she used to be a bit overly embarrassed of him and he’d then have to explain that he really was hip. “There was a time where she was like, ‘Daaaaad’,’” he quipped. To this, he’d normally answer: “I’m cool. I don’t know what you sayin‘. I’m cool! You got cool parents! At your house, your parents [are] cool.” Like mother like daughter, Blue Ivy’s interest in style isn’t surprising considering both her mom and dad’s position in the fashion world. In the past few months, the “Lemonade” creator donned bold designer each night of her Renaissance tour, from custom Versace to Alexander McQueen. David Koma reflected on what it was like to dress the sought-after music legend for her world tour when speaking to Harper’s Bazaar. “For us, the designers, it is not just an amazing exposure but a wonderful cultural moment to be a part of,” the creative said. “A global tour like this is an incredible, culture-defining event.” “Having seen some of the videos from this tour – you just know it’s a once-in-a-lifetime magical performance that every attendee will remember forever,” he continued. “Considering the creativity that goes into putting on a show like that, it makes sense to work with designers for special couture and custom looks.” Beyoncé’s 57-concert run was special for a myriad of reasons, but being able to share the stage with her eldest daughter was the icing on the cake. Blue Ivy danced alongside her mom to songs like “My Power” and “Black Parade” for multiple concerts along the way. After the young prodigy’s first appearance in Paris, Beyoncé took to her Instagram to express how meaningful the experience was to have her daughter perform with her. “My beautiful first born. I’m so proud and thankful to be your mama. You bring us so much joy, my sweet angel,” she wrote next to a slide deck of images from the show. Blue Ivy is one of three children Jay-Z and Beyonce share. The two welcomed twins Rumi and Sir in June of 2017. The “Single Ladies” singer and “Part II” artist tied the knot 15 years ago in front of an intimate group of close friends and family. Read More What is lunch with Jay-Z worth? Less than $500k, he thinks ‘Ozempic is exposing holes in the body positivity movement’ Dolly Parton shares expert response to critics who tell her to ‘tone down’ her look ‘Ozempic is exposing holes in the body positivity movement’ Dolly Parton shares expert response to critics who tell her to ‘tone down’ her look Why Black models are boycotting Melbourne Fashion Week

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