Invasion Of Privacy Class Actions On The Rise

Security alarm companies now routinely offer consumers various types of remote interactive services in addition to traditional home monitoring. Such interactive features not only include the ability for customers to arm and disarm their system, but also to remotely lock and unlock doors, view live security camera feeds and control smart home devices like thermostats and light fixtures, through either a mobile application or web browser portal.

A flurry of recent cases show, however, that these offerings are not without risk. In April, 2020, a customer of ADT Security Services (ADT) discovered an unauthorized email account on their account. An internal investigation revealed that a technician who had worked for ADT for more than seven years had routinely added his personal email account to customers' ADT Pulse accounts and gave himself real-time access to the video feeds from their homes. The technician, who pleaded guilty to hacking home security footage in January