Connected internet device maker Ring LLC has been sued by a man claiming that his internet-connected camera was hacked and used to harass his children.

The litigant, John Baker Orange, filed in the United States District Court Central District of California Dec. 26. He’s seeking class-action status in the legal action.

In the lawsuit, Orange argues that Ring cameras were “fatally flawed” because they did not protect against cyberattacks despite assurances from Ring that the cameras offered “peace of mind” and “smart security here, there, everywhere.” Ring devices “fail to deliver on its most basic promise,” the lawsuit reads. “Lax security standards and protocols render its camera systems vulnerable to cyber attack.”

Orange claims that after purchasing a Ring camera for $249 in July, the camera was accessed and unknown people spoke to his children. “Recently, Mr. Orange’s children were playing basketball when a voice came on through the camera’s two-way speaker system,” the suit claims. “An unknown person engaged with Mr. Orange’s children, commenting on their basketball play and encouraging them to get closer to the camera.”

The lawsuit follows a report in December of similar cases involving Ring users having their cameras hacked and children being spoken to or harassed. The cases are notable as, at least given the evidence at hand, the cameras were being accessed for “lulz” — internet laughs.

One group going by the named of NulledCast was, at least at one stage, doing live-streamed shows where it targeted Ring camera owners live to see what sort of reaction it could get out of them.

The software used to access the cameras uses previously compromised email addresses and passwords to break into Ring cameras at large scale. As Ring noted at the time, its services had not actually been compromised and that users should use unique passwords.

The lawsuit does recognize that, claiming that Ring should have implemented two-factor authentication, required users to verify their identities and forced them to establish complicated passwords when setting up devices.

It’s hard not to be a little sympathetic to those who have had their cameras accessed, particularly with children involved. At the same time, the lawsuit is arguing that Ring, and in addition Ring’s parent company Amazon.com Inc., are to blame for user stupidity and laziness. The only “fatal flaw” in the words of the lawsuit here is the likes of Orange reusing credentials when they should know better.

Image: Ring