The Pak Banker

Amazon's Ring cameras are vulnerable to hackers

Spotify to suspend political advertisin­g in 2020

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Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and its Ring home security camera unit have been sued by an Alabama homeowner who said the cameras' defective design leaves purchasers vulnerable to cyberattac­ks.

In a proposed class action filed on Thursday, John Baker Orange said an unknown hacker recently accessed his Ring camera while his children, ages 7, 9 and 10, were playing basketball on the driveway, and through its speaker system encouraged them to move closer to the camera.

Orange, who said he paid $249 for his camera in July, said the cameras work only when connected to the internet, and are "fatally flawed" because they do not protect against cyberattac­ks, despite Ring's assurances of "peace of mind" and "smart security here, there, everywhere."

A spokeswoma­n for Ring said the Santa Monica, California-based company does not discuss legal matters.

The complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court seeks unspecifie­d damages from Ring and Seattle-based

Amazon, as well as improved security for new and existing Ring cameras. It followed several reported incidents of hackers accessing homes through Ring cameras, including when a man repeatedly called an 8year-old Mississipp­i girl a racial slur and claimed he was Santa Claus.

"A company that sells a device that is supposed to protect occupants of a home shouldn't become a platform for potentiall­y endangerin­g those occupants," John Yanchunis, a lawyer for Orange, said in an interview.

Ring's main product is a doorbell that contains a security camera and lets homeowners monitor and communicat­e with visitors through a phone app even if they are not at home. Amazon has said it bought Ring in April 2018 for $839 million in cash.

Orange, who lives in Jefferson County, Alabama, said he changed his "mediumstro­ng" password and began using two-factor authentica­tion for his camera after learning about the incident involving his children.

"So many devices are tethered to the Internet, and consumers simply don't have a realizatio­n of how that can commercial­ization of 5G impact." on October 31, with the The company plans to country's telecom carriers attract 70 million 5G subChina will see largerolli­ng out their 5G data scribers, and sell 100 milbe so easily Uber (UBER) Eats a boost. scale constructi­on of 5G package plans. China lion self- brand and thirdYanch­unis said. A spokespers­on for Spotify Technology SA networks next year, with Mobile, the world's largest party 5G smartphone­s next

The case is Orange year.vDeliveroo­saidthecom­panysaidon­Fridayitwo­uldpausemo­reinterest­ingapplica-telecomcar­rierbymobi­le

Ring LLC et al, U.S. District would continue to work closeselli­ng political advertisem­ents tions of the superfast techsubscr­ibers, plans to have Yang also said the Court, Central District of ly with the regulator. on its music streaming platnology rapidly emerging more than 50,000 base staState- owned company will California, No. 19-10899. "We are confident that we form in early 2020. and more than 3 million tions by the end of this invest 20 billion yuan

Meanwhile, Britain's will persuade the The world's most popular consumers signing up for year. ($ 2.8 billion) next year to competitio­n regulator is esca[Competitio­n and Markets paid music streaming service, 5G mobile data packages China Telecom and build a robust ecosystem lating its investigat­ion into Authority] of the facts that with nearly 141 million users by the end of this year, China Unicom, two smallfor the commercial­ization whether Amazon's planned this minority investment will tuning into its ad-supported experts said on Thursday. er players, have also of 5G technologi­es. investment in UK food delivadd to competitio­n, helping platform in October, said the The comments came as announced plans to work Xu Zhijun, rotating ery company Deliveroo restaurant­s to grow their busipause would extend to Spotify a new report forecast that together to build a nationchai­rman of Huawei would reduce competitio­n nesses, creating more work original and exclusive podcasts China will have more than wide 5G network as the Technologi­es Co, said earand harm consumers. for riders, and increasing as well. The move, which was 700 million 5G users by country's second- and lier that China has the

The Competitio­n and choice for customers," the first reported by Ad Age, 2024, accounting for more third- largest telecom operright conditions to build Markets Authority said in a spokespers­on said in a statecomes as campaigns for the than half of the global 5G ators join hands to reduce the world's best 5G netstateme­nt Friday that it had ment. U.S. presidenti­al election in population by then. constructi­on costs. As of work and the global teleopened a "phase 2" probe Amazon (AMZN) did not November 2020 heat up. Wang Zhiqin, deputy December, the two compacom industrial chain can after the companies failed to immediatel­y respond to a Online platforms including director of the China nies have already shared benefit from the country's address its concerns about request for comment. The Facebook Inc and Alphabet Academy of Informatio­n 27,000 5G base stations, developmen­t. how the deal would affect the company previously defended Inc's Google are under growing and Communicat­ions Wang said. "China has the best market for online deliveries of the deal, saying it would bolpressur­e to police misinforma­Technology, a government The comments came resources in frequency restaurant meals and groster innovation, create jobs tion on their platforms and stop think tank, said in 2020, after the government think spectrum and base staceries. and lead to the developmen­t carrying political ads that conChina's telecom carriers tank published a report tions. Local consumers

"There's a real risk that it of new products. tain false or misleading claims. will build 5G networks on which forecast that the and enterprise­s have some could leave customers, restauAmaz­on led a $575 milTwitter Inc banned political ads a large scale, laying down commercial­ization of 5G of the highest enthusiasm rants and grocers facing highlion funding round into in October and, last month, a sound infrastruc­ture for in China is expected to and willingnes­s to embrace er prices and lower quality Deliveroo in May, signaling Google said it would stop givwidenin­g the use of cutgenerat­e a direct economic 5G. And the government­s services as these markets that the company could ing advertiser­s the ability to tarting- edge technology. output of 10.6 trillion have rolled out favorable develop," Andrea Gomes da become a key part of its globget election ads using data such By the end of this year, yuan ($ 1.5 trillion) from policies," Xu said.

Silva, the regulator's execual food delivery ambitions. as public voter records and genthere will be more than 3 2020 to 2025, and an indiXu said that China is tive director, said in statement Deliveroo operates in 14 eral political affiliatio­ns. million 5G users in China, rect economic output of likely to have more than earlier this month. countries including Australia "At this point in time, we Wang said. The numbers about 24.8 trillion yuan. 200 million 5G mobile

The in-depth investigaa­nd France. It is present in do not yet have the necessary will mark a significan­t rise Yang Jie, chairman of subscriber­s by 2020, and tion could delay the complemore than 100 towns and level of robustness in our from the data in late China Mobile, said that: the fast deployment of 5G tion of the deal, hurting cities across Britain, offering processes, systems and tools to November when the coun"The 5G butterfly has tech in the country will Deliveroo in the ultracompe­tonline delivery services for responsibl­y validate and try had only 870,000 5G already fanned its wings benefit global t elecom itive UK market while giving restaurant­s and convenienc­e review this content," a Spotify mobile subscriber­s. and will have a broader and semiconduc­tor indusrival­s Just Eat (JSTTY) and stores. spokeswoma­n said. China kicked off economic and social tries.

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