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Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

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Re: Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

#131

Post by NotMichaelBay »

WarmWash wrote: post #58
wordsunite wrote: post #32

I know it seems hard, but just stop using Google, Amazon, Meta products. Tell everyone you know to stop using their products. They have all been acquiring and amassing surveillance for years through their products and now they're just double dipping with AI training to sell you more of it. The more you can get people to realize and disconnect the better. I wish more people would use AI to build alternatives with a cl…

Its an intractable problem because people now have a general expectation that everything is "free". Look at Kagi's success and compare it to Google. It doesn't even register. People need to start paying for things, because if you're not paying for it, you're not in control of it.

I see what you're saying but I don't think that's the answer for everything, because people also pay for conveniences, like a Ring subscription so that Amazon stores footage in their cloud for you.

The problem is centralization is more convenient for consumers. You can easily control your doorbell, your garage door, your security cameras with 1 app, and everything just works.

Open source and decentralized solutions need to be just as convenient and cheaper than centralized ones for consumers to choose them.

Re: Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

#132

Post by titanomachy »

itsanaccount wrote: post #37
ornornor wrote: post #27

This probably even has ramifications beyond US residents. I'm confident Google etc will be compelled (if they haven't already been) to share their dossiers with the US and allies so that there is a file on each individual's psychology, weaknesses, and a how-to manual for gaslighting that person with the goal to silence them or coerce them into acting a certain way. And by then, the Stasi would look like cute amateurs…

I've noticed a big split in viewpoint between people who don't live in the US. Its like those who live in the states have a incentive to act like everything going on is ok, while those outside are increasingly having statements like yours. "How do you not see this power 13 years past Snowden" I've not given up trying to point out how dangerous the US govs powers are in the hands of an ever less capable and more fasci…

I spend significant time in the US, Canada, and Europe, and nobody I talk to seems to think that what's going on is OK.

Both Canada and Europe are undertaking major projects to reduce their interdependence with America, and public sentiment on America has changed rapidly since the current administration assumed power. Europeans have always distrusted American tech, and Canadians have started trying to break away as well.

The Americans I spend time with are also unhappy with the direction things are going, but most of them still use Google Chrome and buy everything on Amazon. They seem to be less willing to accept a little bit of inconvience to take a moral stand.

Re: Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

#133

Post by prmoustache »

bloak wrote: post #82
WarmWash wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its an intractable problem because people now have a general expectation that everything is "free". Look at Kagi's success and compare it to Google. It doesn't even register. People need to start paying for things, because if you're not paying for it, you're not in control of it.

Alternatively, basic stuff like e-mail and payment processing should be provided by the state. After all, the state provides a road network, which is similarly essential and rather more expensive.

E-mail used to be provided by your isp and there were enough different ISPs ( at least in my country ) to not have a duopoly.

Re: Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

#134

Post by jasonjayr »

prmoustache wrote: post #128
oceansky wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someone commented on a HN threads on just de-googling and he couldn't even pick up his kids without a gmail or apple account. Just not using it is really unrealistic for the average person at this moment

> [...] and he couldn't even pick up his kids without a gmail or apple account. How so?

A lot of schools use apps like 'ParentSquare' to interact and manage the student/teacher/parent relationship, and do not offer the same level of communication through traditional channels anymore.

Re: Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

#135

Post by Ylpertnodi »

lqstuart wrote: post #84
embedding-shape wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Revealed: How Substack makes money from hosting Nazi newsletters If we're gonna judge authors for what platforms they're using, does that mean we're all bad guys here on HN too, since a lot of current misery is because of startups and technology companies who used to receive a lot praise here?

It's always fun reminding people that the internet was invented by the US military

[flagged]

Re: Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

#136

Post by titanomachy »

jmyeet wrote: post #112

Once again we see tech companies capitulating to the US government who is actually doing the things we accuse China is theoretically doing in the future . I don't own a smart speaker. It's actually annoying because there are so few options for a music system now. I've previously owned a Sonos but honestly it's just not a polished product. Anyway, my issue with smart speakers is I don't want a cloud-connected always-o…

I bought some tower speakers made in the early 2000s and they sound awesome. Huge heavy things, but it's not like I've ever had to move them since I bought them. I power them with an inexpensive NAD amplifier that supports streaming and bluetooth sources.

Re: Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

#138

Post by torben-friis »

harimau777 wrote: post #61
wordsunite wrote: post #32

I know it seems hard, but just stop using Google, Amazon, Meta products. Tell everyone you know to stop using their products. They have all been acquiring and amassing surveillance for years through their products and now they're just double dipping with AI training to sell you more of it. The more you can get people to realize and disconnect the better. I wish more people would use AI to build alternatives with a cl…

I'm not sure its necessarily that simple. For example, because of the job market for software engineers I have moved to new cities multiple times during my adult life. As a result, my social network is highly fragmented and without Facebook it would be incredibly difficult for me to manage. So for me "stop using Facebook" sound similar to saying "burn all of your family photos and throw away your ability to talk to m…

Where are you that Facebook (the network, not meta as a company) is still minimally relevant ? I haven’t logged in in about a decade.

Re: Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

#139

Post by calibas »

otterley wrote: post #122
calibas wrote: post #96

It's a clear violation of the 4th Amendment, but the government acts like they've found a "loophole" because it's private businesses doing the spying.

As an attorney I’d like to understand why you think there is a “clear” Constitutional violation going on here. What activity, specifically, are you referring to, and what precedent supports your claim?

You're an attorney and you're asking me why the government spying on everyone is a clear violation of the 4th Amendment?

Re: Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest reveal the severity of U.S. surveillance state

#140

Post by SV_BubbleTime »

WarmWash wrote: post #70
jb1991 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Compared to other major western countries, the US has a serious problem with violent crime in particular.

If you remove like 250sq mi of land from that stat you can cut the violent crime stat by 90%. There are some neighborhoods with more murders in a month than some whole states see in a couple years.

Not popular.

We know exactly where the majority of crime is in the US, you are correct, down to the neighborhood.

Now… let’s say you were to call the national guard in to safeguard those areas, how do you think that would go over by those cities governors and reaction media? I guess the answer depends on the year.

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