Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#21

Post by slobiwan » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:13 PM UTC

dlhavema wrote: post #12

josefresco wrote: post #5

This page on Tom's Guide has good background, a list of devices and instructions on how to opt out. https://www.tomsguide.com/reference/what-is-amazon-sidewalk Amazon App> More > Settings > Account Settings > Amazon Sidewalk > Disable

Looks like I don't have the update yet. I don't see this menu option.

Check the Alexa app, not the Amazon app. Shows up in mine

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#22

Post by kiseleon » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:14 PM UTC

I noticed this option in my settings months ago and disabled it then.

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#23

Post by csharptwdec19 » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:15 PM UTC

rudyfink wrote: post #20

shiado wrote: post #7

What will happen is some high profile company that has a few Amazon devices on their network will have these devices exploited to gain network access and get hit with some ransomware/data theft/etc... and then there will be a big legal battle between Amazon and the hacked company and this whole idea will be shut down and consumers will get a $10 class action settlement for each device.

Maybe not? Most consumer arbitration agreements these days ban asserting class claims. This has been on the rise since 2011: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT%26T_Mobility_LLC_v._Concepc... . In my opinion, this legal change is a huge sleeper story that is behind a number of changes in how customers are getting treated. Since customers can no longer economically avail themselves of the courts to protect themselves en-…

It's amazing to watch companies admit they abuse this pattern.

A couple years ago I got into it with Comcast over an Identity fraud issue. When I threatened to take them to court for harrassment (I'd sent them more than what was needed to prove I never resided at the address in question) they tried to throw the 'binding arbitration' clause out there... When I told them I never was or would be a customer of theirs and thus wasn't held to their arbitration, they didn't quite know what to say next.

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#24

Post by Animats » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:17 PM UTC

snegu wrote: post #13

I'm curious - is it an altruistic act to leave this functionality enabled? I'm all for making wifi access easier for people.

"People like you helping people like us help ourselves" - Processed World slogan.

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#25

Post by unyttigfjelltol » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:17 PM UTC

eloeffler wrote: post #2

This is such a great plot beginning for a new Skynet story :)

That Skynet is funnelling data & connections into a network it constructed out of junk electronics it sold under the guise of other functionality, and thus is removing the ability of humans to airgap other Skynet devices? Seems like we're in the middle of the book to me.

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#26

Post by Retric » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:21 PM UTC

snegu wrote: post #13

I'm curious - is it an altruistic act to leave this functionality enabled? I'm all for making wifi access easier for people.

It’s so “smart” TV’s etc can send data home even if you don’t connect them to the internet. Longer term expect random devices you own to inject even more advertising into your daily life.

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#27

Post by wnevets » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:21 PM UTC

The Security Now podcast has a great episode [1] about why this isn't as scary as the headlines make it out to be. I'm actually quite disappointed at the sheer amount of fearmongering surrounding this technology here on HN of all places. For some reason I expected HN to be better than the general tech press when it came to these things.

[1] https://twit.tv/shows/security-now/episodes/796

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#28

Post by warmfuzzykitten » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:23 PM UTC

This is a terrific example of a permission that should be opt in.

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#29

Post by cduzz » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:23 PM UTC

vincent-toups wrote: post #14

I'd rather go without internet than have one of these damned smart devices in my house. I can't believe how popular they are.

I have an old dot connected to my stereo to stream music. As they say, it is extremely convenient to be able to request some music and have it played.

My amplifier has a switched outlet on the back that I've plugged the USB into; so if I turn off the amplifier the dot is powered off as well (presumably).

And, apparently, 2nd generation dots don't "support" sidewalk anyhow (though of course it is a little snitch hiding in my living room).

The "smart" TV is more of a concern as it is always on...

Re: Amazon US customers given one week to opt out of mass wireless sharing

#30

Post by ch4s3 » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 5:24 PM UTC

slobiwan wrote: post #21

dlhavema wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looks like I don't have the update yet. I don't see this menu option.

Check the Alexa app, not the Amazon app. Shows up in mine

I'm seeing the same issue as the parent. I've check the alexa app under account settings and the option does not appear. The last version on the app store is from 2 weeks ago. I wonder if this is a web view and they're exposing it to different users at different times.