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Amazon Sidewalk

Grumpy Old Lemons Like You
ReformedCharacter
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Amazon Sidewalk

#416660

Postby ReformedCharacter » June 1st, 2021, 7:15 pm

In the US but probably here too, soon:

If you use Alexa, Echo, or any other Amazon device, you have only 10 days to opt out of an experiment that leaves your personal privacy and security hanging in the balance.

On June 8, the merchant, Web host, and entertainment behemoth will automatically enroll the devices in Amazon Sidewalk. The new wireless mesh service will share a small slice of your Internet bandwidth with nearby neighbors who don’t have connectivity and help you to their bandwidth when you don’t have a connection.

By default, Amazon devices including Alexa, Echo, Ring, security cams, outdoor lights, motion sensors, and Tile trackers will enroll in the system. And since only a tiny fraction of people take the time to change default settings, that means millions of people will be co-opted into the program whether they know anything about it or not.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/amazon-devices-will-soon-automatically-share-your-internet-with-neighbors/

Slowly and incrementally we are losing our privacy.

Several UK police forces have similarly engaged in partnerships with Ring. It has been reported that four police forces have distributed Ring’s all-seeing doorbells accross their counties, while five other police forces have engaged in promoting Ring through vouchers and discount codes.

https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/3971/one-ring-watch-them-all

RC

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Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#416670

Postby Dod101 » June 1st, 2021, 8:30 pm

Only it would seem if you have daft stuff like Alexa. What is the point?

Dod

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Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#416676

Postby ReformedCharacter » June 1st, 2021, 9:03 pm

Dod101 wrote:Only it would seem if you have daft stuff like Alexa. What is the point?

Dod

You may have a point about Alexa, I don't know, I haven't used it myself but plenty of people do. The Ring doorbell on the other hand (or similar items) does look useful. I'd quite like to be able to speak to someone who is ringing my doorbell when I am in the garden and out of earshot, even if it is to tell the political canvassers to leave me alone and try elsewhere. And, Ring doorbells capture images of passers-by which might include you. We already have more CCTV surveillance than any other European country IIRC.

RC

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Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#416693

Postby UncleEbenezer » June 1st, 2021, 9:55 pm

BT have been doing that here for years. There are (or were) a couple of services from them: the name Openzone springs to mind. Or have I missed some significant difference?


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