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Other => General Topics => Topic started by: polonus on June 07, 2021, 05:42:18 PM

Title: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: polonus on June 07, 2021, 05:42:18 PM
Coming to America to-day.
Read: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/06/01/amazon-sidewalk-echo-devices-share-internet-june-8/5288353001/

Could mean a lot of additional Amazon's tracking and snooping on the horizon for all Americans.
As you cannot block 'em, only opt-out, and you are getting it as per default.

There's the possibility you will be spied upon by your very neighbour's next doorbell.
Surveillance and tracking coming to a sidewalk near you.

'Too big to be halted this Big-Tech-dinosaur'.
Read background info: https://gizmodo.com/i-tried-to-block-amazon-from-my-life-it-was-impossible-1830565336

However you still may find use for this extension in your browser:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/block-amazon-for-me/kpamkgagilpbcmbhafabgokiljdmkmhc/

Oh, and pre-analyze here:  https://securitytrails.com/domain/airbnb.com/dns  (https://securitytrails.com/domain/airbnb.com/dns)

Kind regards to ye all from the old continent, where Amazon now also owns over 50% of markets,

polonus (volunteer 3rd party cold recon website security analyst and website error-hunter)
Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: bob3160 on June 07, 2021, 08:09:15 PM
If you intend to turn it OFF, this will make it easy.
Amazon Sidewalk, On or Off?
https://youtu.be/jdhTnbMeDAA (https://youtu.be/jdhTnbMeDAA)
I also cover this topic in my weekly Avast Security News Roundup (https://youtu.be/EIZTAMMCE2c).
Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: DavidR on June 07, 2021, 08:19:35 PM
Quote from: polonus
There's the possibility you will be spied upon by your very neighbour's next doorbell.
Surveillance and tracking coming to a sidewalk near you.

I thought for sure that would be illegal, I know the police can ask for any video surveillance in respect of a crime.

This drives a coach and horses through privacy, how are Amazon able/premitted to access stuff like video doorbell footage from a private home.  I can see this pi55ing off European privacy rules.
Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: bob3160 on June 07, 2021, 08:27:32 PM
Quote from: polonus
There's the possibility you will be spied upon by your very neighbour's next doorbell.
Surveillance and tracking coming to a sidewalk near you.

I thought for sure that would be illegal, I know the police can ask for any video surveillance in respect of a crime.

This drives a coach and horses through privacy, how are Amazon able/premitted to access stuff like video doorbell footage from a private home.  I can see this pi55ing off European privacy rules.
It's always best to read all the facts not just the attention grabbing headlines. :)

Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: DavidR on June 07, 2021, 08:43:22 PM
Quote from: polonus
There's the possibility you will be spied upon by your very neighbour's next doorbell.
Surveillance and tracking coming to a sidewalk near you.

I thought for sure that would be illegal, I know the police can ask for any video surveillance in respect of a crime.

This drives a coach and horses through privacy, how are Amazon able/premitted to access stuff like video doorbell footage from a private home.  I can see this pi55ing off European privacy rules.
It's always best to read all the facts not just the attention grabbing headlines. :)

I wasn't even looking at headlines, I'm looking at how can it be legal, when the user doesn't Opt-in but has to Opt-out and for many they won't have a clue they have opted in.

I have always been suspicious of IOT devices, and the hacking of said devices.  The recent headlines/warnings about your Echo (type) devices could be listening in to all your conversions.  Not to mention the article of Avast hacking of a coffee machine.
Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: polonus on June 07, 2021, 09:27:23 PM
No harm meant  ;), bob3160, and it is the end-user's responsibilty,
that is what I'd like to say to my friend, DavidR.  ;D

But the tenure has been lately that regulators tend to agree,
when the scheme in question is cost effective and profitable for consumers/endusers,
then the law will take the side of the monopolist, and Amazon certainly is one of the big global players.

Moreover the situation in the US of A doesn't reflect that of the old continent and the United Kingdom
so certainly not that of their old former continental mother-countries (France, the Netherlands, Spain etc.).

By the way it could be as simple as disabling Bluetooth on a particular device or have avast guard your IoT network.

Anyway as it is a default opt-in, loads of Americans don't even realize they will "be interconnected",
when they wake up next morning as it has been brought in.  8)

Have a nice day,

polonus


Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: bob3160 on June 07, 2021, 09:39:27 PM
It's as simple as turning it off as shown in the video.
The problem is that this will be on by default and we already know that many folks will not turn it off
even if that's what they would probably prefer.
Get informed, know the benefits and the downside of this technology, and then decide your action.
Europe will have different rules than the US.

Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: polonus on June 07, 2021, 09:46:50 PM
Hi bob3160,

Can't agree more, every grown-up is his own master in such respects I mean.  ;)
Since I came to join the avast family here, what I have learnt so-far has kept me from harm's way.
Thanks to avast's and all of ye here,  :)

polonus a.k.a. Damian
Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: Asyn on June 08, 2021, 09:29:36 AM
Amazon Sidewalk is right around the corner - do you need to walk away?
https://blog.avast.com/amazon-sidewalk-avast
Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: polonus on June 08, 2021, 10:37:31 PM
Part of what comes interconnected that way.

What are Sidewalk Bridges, and which devices are able to become Sidewalk Bridges?
Sidewalk Bridges are devices that provide connections to Amazon Sidewalk. Today, Sidewalk Bridges include many Echo devices and select Ring Floodlight and Spotlight Cams. A comprehensive list of Sidewalk devices includes: Ring Floodlight Cam (2019), Ring Spotlight Cam Wired (2019), Ring Spotlight Cam Mount (2019), Echo (3rd Gen), Echo (4th Gen), Echo Dot (3rd Gen), Echo Dot (4th Gen), Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for Kids, Echo Dot (4th Gen) for Kids, Echo Dot with Clock (3rd Gen), Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen), Echo Plus (1st Gen), Echo Plus (2nd Gen), Echo Show (1st Gen), Echo Show (2nd Gen), Echo Show 5, Echo Show 8, Echo Show 10, Echo Spot, Echo Studio, Echo Input, Echo Flex.

polonus
Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: Charyb-0 on June 10, 2021, 10:43:06 PM
Thanks for this topic. I had no idea that I was opted in for this. Sneaky stuff here.

I opted out and also removed the skills that linked my non-Ring cameras and wifi bulbs to Alexa and removed these devices from the app. I used this for voice control of the bulbs and to view the cameras on the Echo Show. I can just as easily use my phone for this. Even though these cameras and bulbs aren't listed, I won't leave them any opportunities.


I didn't see any mention of Fire TV sticks so I won't burn those yet.








Title: Re: Who's gonna opt-out of Amazon's Sidewalk Service.
Post by: DavidR on June 11, 2021, 01:25:33 AM
<snip>
I didn't see any mention of Fire TV sticks so I won't burn those yet.

I wouldn't think that they would be included, given what was said in the Avast Blog link Asyn posted in Reply #8.

Quote from: Extract
If you want to read more, Amazon has published details on Sidewalk here. The main benefit would be expanding the WiFi coverage for low bandwidth devices.  Amazon explains that Sidewalk would enable outdoor devices such as security cameras and smart lamps to stay connected even when wifi connection is lost as they are often at the edge of a home’s wifi coverage. 

Since I would think that Fire TV Sticks would be considered a high bandwidth device.  So no need to burn the Fire sticks just yet ;)