Smart home security company Ring is recalling hundreds of thousands of its smart doorbell devices after it had received reports of some units suddenly catching fire.
The company, which is owned by Amazon, said that the decision was a response to the findings from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The CPSC earlier published a report claiming that Ring's second-generation smart doorbells sold in the U.S. and Canada could pose fire hazards. The agency said that affected units include at least 350,000 doorbells sold in the U.S. and 8,700 units sold in Canada.
The units believed to pose fire hazards were those that were sold between June 2020 and October 2020 through Amazon and Ring's websites.
"The video doorbell's battery can overheat when the incorrect screws are used for installation, posing fire and burn hazards," CPSC's report said.
According to the agency, it decided to impose the recall on the company after it had received 23 reports of doorbells suddenly catching fire. It said that the incidents had not caused loss of life. However, at least eight people have suffered minor burns and the defective units have caused minor property damage.
To help customers determine whether their purchased smart doorbells are part of the recall, Ring has placed a link on its support website. Customers can enter the model and the serial number of their purchased products to determine whether they are eligible for a replacement.
Amazon acquired the smart home security company in 2018. Before the recall, Ring had been caught in a separate controversy involving its products. Last year, the company's decision to establish partnerships with more than 400 police departments resulted in issues with privacy advocates.
Under the partnerships, Ring allowed law enforcement access to videos recorded on its doorbells for investigations. Personal privacy groups slammed the decision, claiming that Ring's decision could lead to the establishment of a 24/7 surveillance program.
Ring's smart doorbells are equipped with outdoor motion-detecting cameras that stream the footage to a user's device through an accompanying mobile application.
