Ring Video Doorbell VS Amazon Kindle
Verdict DROP IT BUY IT
The Reality The FTC found the opposite was true internally for years. According to the FTC's 2023 complaint, Ring gave employees and contractors -- including hundreds of Ukraine-based third-party contractors -- broad, largely unrestricted access to customers' videos, including footage from bedrooms and children's bedrooms, which employees could view, download, and share at will. Separately, more than 55,000 US customers had their accounts compromised between January 2019 and March 2020 due to Ring's lax security practices, including allowing hackers to take control of cameras. Ring settled with the FTC for $5.8 million in May 2023, agreeing to a 20-year mandated data-security program with regular independent assessments. A real Hacker News thread titled "All Kindles can now be jailbroken" reached 1,377 points and 423 comments — a large real reaction specifically about the device's software restrictions and DRM, not its reading experience. That's a genuinely relevant reality check on a device marketed around simplicity: the depth of real community effort to jailbreak it suggests real user frustration with the locked-down software, not just niche tinkering interest.
SHORT ANSWER
Ring Video Doorbell: The FTC found Ring employees and contractors had broad, unrestricted access to customers' camera footage -- including bedrooms -- and that over 55,000 US accounts were compromised by hackers, resulting in a $5.8 million settlement and 20 years of mandated oversight.
Amazon Kindle: Amazon Kindle hardware is well-regarded, but a real 1,377-point Hacker News thread about jailbreaking every Kindle model shows genuine, substantial user frustration with its locked-down DRM and software restrictions — a real trade-off to know about before buying, not marketing spin.