iRobot (Roomba) shares customer data with Google and other affiliates • Hacker News Board

Re: iRobot (Roomba) shares customer data with Google and other affiliates

#41

Post by amaccuish » Sat, Jan 12, 2019, 10:11 PM UTC

technofiend wrote: post #6

cronix wrote: post #3

Thanks, I don't need a vacuum that sends data to you, or anyone else. It's not necessary to the function of the product. The convenience does not outweigh the cost of my privacy, and I'm certainly not going to pay you to extract it from me. You should be paying me to use your product if you want the data.

I don't disagree but the attitude in corporate America is simply anything for profit is good and justified. iRobot will happily argue their service will cost more unless they share your data when what they really mean is you'll have to offset this new revenue stream for them if you want them to stop.

> you'll have to offset this new revenue stream for them if you want them to stop

I find this argument odd. It's like saying I should be penalised because companies can't harvest and sell my organs, since they're being deprived of a "revenue stream". Sure, collecting personal data isn't currently against the law, but the idea that there has to be a compensation for a "potential revenue stream" is ridiculous right?

Re: iRobot (Roomba) shares customer data with Google and other affiliates

#42

Post by ardy42 » Sun, Jan 13, 2019, 12:19 AM UTC

danielparks wrote: post #33

ardy42 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Some of our Robots are equipped with smart technology which allows the Robots to transmit data wirelessly to the Service. As far as I know all their current Roomba lineup is equipped with that technology. I actually just bought the last non-wifi Roomba I could find, specifically to avoid it.

You don’t have to connect the Roomba to the Internet. My 690 isn’t connected and it works fine.

Can you program schedules without wifi? It's missing the scheduling buttons mine has, and the product description makes it seem like you need to use the app for that:

https://store.irobot.com/default/roomba-vacuuming-robot-vacu...

Re: iRobot (Roomba) shares customer data with Google and other affiliates

#43

Post by ardy42 » Sun, Jan 13, 2019, 12:22 AM UTC

technofiend wrote: post #6

cronix wrote: post #3

Thanks, I don't need a vacuum that sends data to you, or anyone else. It's not necessary to the function of the product. The convenience does not outweigh the cost of my privacy, and I'm certainly not going to pay you to extract it from me. You should be paying me to use your product if you want the data.

I don't disagree but the attitude in corporate America is simply anything for profit is good and justified. iRobot will happily argue their service will cost more unless they share your data when what they really mean is you'll have to offset this new revenue stream for them if you want them to stop.

> I don't disagree but the attitude in corporate America is simply anything for profit is good and justified. iRobot will happily argue their service will cost more unless they share your data when what they really mean is you'll have to offset this new revenue stream for them if you want them to stop.

That argument is becoming less compelling by the day. I used to be pretty libertarian, but now I'm looking forward to the day these companies are slapped with the restrictive regulation that they're totally asking for.

Re: iRobot (Roomba) shares customer data with Google and other affiliates

#44

Post by crtasm » Sun, Jan 13, 2019, 5:58 PM UTC

cronix wrote: post #4

userbinator wrote: post #2

It seems that these days you should assume that any product which needs an Internet connection to function is going to phone home through that. There's certainly a market for "smart, but not too smart" devices; unfortunately I doubt it's very large.

It's another reason why I quite using fitbit. There is no reason at all you need internet connectivity to send the data 3 feet from the device to the phone via bluetooth. They don't need to collect the data at all, and since there is no opt-out, I just quit using it.

We bought a fitbit for a relative, I took the feature "no smartphone required" to mean it would work standalone (or at least offline with your laptop) but of course I was mistaken.