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Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

xfinity.com

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Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#221

Post by avonmach »

unit_circle wrote: post #88
0xbadcafebee wrote: post #36

I'm sure people will want to make it seem like Comcast is doing something evil here, but they're not: > Comcast does not monitor the motion and/or notifications generated by the service. > This feature is currently only available for select Xfinity Internet customers as part of an early access preview. > WiFi Motion is off by default. Features like this at Comcast are typically one or two engineers on a random team c…

It's all well and good until the MBAs get a hold of it... Technology doesn't exist in a vacuum.

or a third party

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#222

Post by dcow »

RajT88 wrote: post #217
dcow wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how do you technically stop an ISP from using the radio in their hardware to detect small changes in phase angle of signals in your home?

Own your own hardware is how. Comcast cannot administer my router/AP or modem. Some other ISP's like AT&T force you to use their gateway. I try and avoid these companies or severely limit the functions of the built in gateway.

And how do you force all consumers to buy their own privacy hardware?

Edit: sorry my question is not strictly how one person would mangle their hardware so it breaks presence detection, it’s how the tech industry would develop an at scale everyday consumer solution to this problem.

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#223

Post by pixl97 »

dcow wrote: post #211
armchairhacker wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The solution here shouldn't be technical; it should be legal. I disagree. Solutions should be technical whenever possible, because in practice, laws tend to be abused and/or not enforced. Laws also need resources and cooperation to be enforced, and some laws are hard to enforce without creating backdoors or compromising other rights. "ISPs will be prohibited from spying on their customers" doesn't mean ISPs won't s…

And how do you technically stop an ISP from using the radio in their hardware to detect small changes in phase angle of signals in your home?

Disconnect and ground the antenna and supply your own equipment?

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#224

Post by conradev »

jacobgkau wrote: post #2

> Subject to applicable law, Comcast may disclose information generated by your WiFi Motion to third parties without further notice to you in connection with any law enforcement investigation or proceeding, any dispute to which Comcast is a party, or pursuant to a court order or subpoena. Sounds like, at least in some limited circumstances (using the provided WiFi AP, having this feature turned on, etc), ISPs are goi…

Can't they already do this with the data of which devices are connected when? Motion data doesn't identify you in the way that device data does

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#226

Post by pixl97 »

Aurornis wrote: post #62
josho wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The solution here shouldn't be technical; it should be legal. If we rely on the technical path, Comcast can achieve the same by how many active IPv6 addresses are in use. Even if you aren't using your phone, the device is going to be constantly pinging services like email, and your ISP can use that to piece together how many people are at home. If we rely on legal protection, then not only Comcast, but all ISPs will…

> The solution here shouldn't be technical; it should be legal. The parent commenter was highlighting that law enforcement can compel them to provide the data. The customer has to opt-in to WiFi motion sensing to have the data tracked. If you see something appear in an app, you should assume law enforcement can compel the company to provide that data. It's not really a surprise. > If we rely on legal protection, then…

>opting in to

Yea, at least in the US you have almost zero consumer rights around this.

Once they find some marketing firm to sell the data to suddenly it will be come opt-out in a new update and most people will blindly hit agree without having a clue what it's about.

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#227

Post by transpute »

godelski wrote: post #199

Great, I always wanted to - be able to spy on my neighbors - add more surveillance systems into my house - have my neighbors be able to spy on me through my walls I get that there is utility to this thing but come on, they don't even guarantee that the information is private and they say they collect it. Does the boot really taste that good? Why are we so obsessed with surveillance and giving people the power to surv…

15 years of research and 5 years of HN discussion. It can always get worse, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29901979

  We could use terahertz spectrum to detect specific molecules and in turn use terahertz frequencies and radios as a way to track specific ingredients in food or pollutants in the air
Is there a PKD sci-fi story about terahertz-radar smart lock breathalyzer (substances, viruses) with conditional door entry/exit rules?

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#228

Post by McAtNite »

bix6 wrote: post #194
margalabargala wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm. That misses the broader reality. What you're missing, is that you are allowed to use your own modem. You can purchase an Arris Surfboard, and use that. They still have control of that modem, but can gather no downstream data. That the devices are not distributed by Comcast personally is not relevant to you being able to do this.

Why an Arris Surfboard specifically? Just checked their website and the ratings are not good? Edit: thanks for the downvote! The few I clicked on their website have weak ratings but they are rated much better on Amazon.

Historically the surfboard has been the go to option for Comcast. I can’t say what the current best option is, but if you purchased your own modem in the previous decade chances are you bought a surfboard. IIRC Comcast has a page of third party modems that are compatible.

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#229

Post by vpShane »

godelski wrote: post #199

Great, I always wanted to - be able to spy on my neighbors - add more surveillance systems into my house - have my neighbors be able to spy on me through my walls I get that there is utility to this thing but come on, they don't even guarantee that the information is private and they say they collect it. Does the boot really taste that good? Why are we so obsessed with surveillance and giving people the power to surv…

Good questions.
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