Amazon Sidewalk
2020-10-03 20:21:03.075147+02 by Dan Lyke 1 comments
We've been working on de-Amazon-ifying our lives, but we do still have the Ring systems. Despite having excess bandwidth, I'll be opting out, but the big problem is that if I want a camera system that takes privacy seriously, I'm back to having to build it myself.
Ring has always been questionable, and we definitely make sure the cameras aren't pointing anywhere that we want to be anything but completely public, but the creeping interface between what I own and what I hold in common with companies whose motivations and goals aren't necessarily my own is getting more and more worrisome.
Amazon quietly announces major expansion to neighborhood surveillance networks
Amazon, the powerhouse behind the Ring security camera network, is coming for your community. On Monday, the surveillance juggernaut announced a major expansion to its smart neighborhood effort dubbed Sidewalk. Notably, Amazon failed to highlight one crucial detailed specified in the accompanying white paper: If you already own one of 20 existing Amazon products, you'll automatically be participating unless you actively opt out.