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Amazon devices will soon automatically share your Internet with neighbors


Eldorado

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If you use Alexa, Echo, or many other Amazon devices, you have only 10 days until you're opted in to 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 neighboring Sidewalk-capable devices that don’t have connectivity.

Sidewalk will also help your Amazon devices to a sliver of bandwidth from other Sidewalk users when you don’t have a connection.

Full report at Ars Technica: Link

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25 minutes ago, Orphalesion said:

Why would anybody want that?

Why would anyone want any device that (among other things) can record your voice print, thereby associating you with people you may visit?

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Can someone give me a clue?  The way this "networking" is described is what I thought 5G was all about.  Obviously, I was mistaken.  Also, this particular invasion of privacy (as I see it) seems to be the effort of Amazon's distributed devices that are installed in the homes of customers to help the folks around them to better access Amazon products?  It reads like the bean-counters at Bezos-World made claims about their products that aren't exactly accurate IF they need to enlist the neighbors to make sure they work properly.  

My FAVORITE part of the piece:

"By default, a variety of Amazon devices will enroll in the system come June 8. 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."

My wife and I used to joke about people being little more than lab rats where advertising is concerned.  The joke stopped being humorous a while back.

Oh well... if the products that are listed are the only way a customer can be affected, I'm good to go.  I don't, nor ever would own any of those devices.  I considered one early-on because they sounded like a cool option around the house.  Fortunately, I procrastinated long enough for the "bugs" to show themselves ;) 

Speaking as a crotchety old man who is being left in the wake of the techno-tsunami, I believe the ever-increasing synthesis of technology, corporations and government will take the world to a VERY DARK future.  Mr. Blair couldn't begin to fathom how right he was in "1984".  So much of his vision has proven to be dead-on but when Big Brother has the capability to see into EVERY corner, even the ones his telescreens missed, freedom will die more effectively than anyone thought possible.

Maybe it's time to leave the net, buy a pay-as-you-go phone that's JUST a phone, and settle down to the quiet life of a Prole ;) 

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22 hours ago, Inn Spectre said:

Why would anyone want any device that (among other things) can record your voice print, thereby associating you with people you may visit?

Do you mean Alexa? Honestly I never saw the appeal of Alexa either. 

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So are there any instructions for opting out of this change? I only have one Amazon Fire tablet that I use solely for reading and storing eBooks.

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Quick reminder that Amazon Echo does not do voice recognition in real time. It records your voice and sends the clip to Amazon where it's deciphered and the commands are sent back to the Echo. Amazon keeps your voice recording on their servers as per the terms of service. Also, Amazon owns Ring, a popular doorbell camera device. There's your facial recognition and your voice recording on file, as well as for anyone that visits you.

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One more reason not to have any Amazon subscriptions or devices.

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On 6/8/2021 at 6:05 PM, and then said:

Oh well... if the products that are listed are the only way a customer can be affected, I'm good to go.  I don't, nor ever would own any of those devices. 

I'm not so sure you are.  It may be that your neighbor's devices could pick up some of the slack.  Their Alexa security system may be watching you as well. 

You only think burner phones are burner phones because that is what they tell you,  A user is only aware of Alexia when  they are in a conversation.  Silent observer Alexa is invisible. 

Transactions and your access to cash go through your cards  that are also chipped. 

  If they can stand a washing machine, even T-shirt and underwear labels could have RFID dots.  Big brother right down into your shorts.

 

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You could write volumes on how intrusive Big Tech has become. Thousands of data points collected on each person by turning every device in to a little piece of spyware. Even if you secure your own phone, the devices around you are silently collecting your info and filing it away at Google or Apple or both. 

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