Amazon Sidewalk - Other people using your bandwidth.

[anti SJW]

Story here

Amazon Sidewalk: Police issue warning about feature that shares portion of your WiFi bandwidth​

By Jordan Smith
Published 43 mins ago
Updated 33 mins ago
FOX TV Digital Team

Amazon’s new Sidewalk feature has drawn the attention of law enforcement, who’ve now warned the public of potential security risks the software poses.

Sidewalk pools together a small slice of users’ WiFi bandwidth along with their neighbors’ so the devices can work over long distances, Amazon explained on a launch page.

It will allow devices to remain functional should a service outage strike the customer’s home — meaning home security devices and lighting will continue to work thanks to the bandwidth shared by other Sidewalk users.

RELATED: Critics say Amazon Sidewalk program is ‘cynical’, vulnerable to hackers

And customers can use it to help find pets or other lost valuables with Sidewalk-enabled devices.

The Redlands Police Department in California took to social media Tuesday to explain the potential dangers of the feature.


"Be aware: this type of program may put your personal privacy and security at risk! Scam predators look for these opportunities to access your personally identifiable information and through this program, your entire neighborhood may be at risk," the department said.

Amazon automatically opted in customers with Sidewalk-eligible devices. They stressed user data is protected by multiple layers of encryption.

"Sidewalk is designed with multiple layers of privacy and security to secure data traveling on the network and to keep customers safe and in control," Amazon said. "For example, Sidewalk Bridge owners do not receive any information about devices owned by others connected to Sidewalk."

RELATED: Should you disable Amazon Sidewalk?

Even so, participation in the Sidewalk program is optional. Police said users can disable it in their Alexa app by taking the following steps:

1. Select settings
2. Choose account settings
3. Click on Amazon Sidewalk
4. Turn Amazon Sidewalk off

I wish the default for this stuff is you have to opt in instead of opt out.

 

[REGENDarySumanai]

Well this is a stupid idea that is easily vulnerable.

 

[Flustercuck]

Well this is a stupid idea that is easily vulnerable.

this is exactly what the police are saying, yes.

 

[Blamo]

Amazon Sidewalk is a shared network that helps devices like Amazon Echo devices, Ring Security Cams, outdoor lights, motion sensors, and Tile trackers work better at home and beyond the front door. When enabled, Sidewalk can unlock unique benefits for your device, support other Sidewalk devices in your community, and even locate pets or lost items.

So it's a master spyware connecting the other spyware systems? Just because bugmen were too lazy to turn on the light with their hands? Woah, cringe.

Even so, participation in the Sidewalk program is optional. Police said users can disable it in their Alexa app by taking the following steps:

1. Select settings
2. Choose account settings
3. Click on Amazon Sidewalk
4. Turn Amazon Sidewalk off

Two things:
A) Optional, for now.
B) Sure I do believe that turning off the setting will work and not just send the data without even getting the so-called benefits of the service.

 

[Sam Losco]

IoT shit is already a security problem and now Amazon won't even let you isolating them to your LAN be safe because they want to connect everyone's LANs together.

What are they really wanting this for? They keep using a lost dog example even though I think that working would be like .0000001% of use cases. Who has "smart" tags on their dogs all the time?

Shady as fuck.

 

[Spooky Bones]

The Redlands Police Department in California took to social media Tuesday to explain the potential dangers of the feature.


"Be aware: this type of program may put your personal privacy and security at risk! Scam predators look for these opportunities to access your personally identifiable information and through this program, your entire neighborhood may be at risk," the department said.

This is actually super fucking based of the cops

 

[Celebrate Nite]

So it's a master spyware connecting the other spyware systems?

 

[DumbDude42]

Amazon automatically opted in customers with Sidewalk-eligible devices

does amazon manufacture its own phones? or do people run some kind of proprietary amazon-made OS on their phones?
im out of the loop when it comes to normie consoomer tech, how does amazon have this level of control over peoples devices?

 

[Gar For Archer]

does amazon manufacture its own phones? or do people run some kind of proprietary amazon-made OS on their phones?
im out of the loop when it comes to normie consoomer tech, how does amazon have this level of control over peoples devices?

They tried to but failed hilariously.

 

[Kosher Dill]

does amazon manufacture its own phones? or do people run some kind of proprietary amazon-made OS on their phones?
im out of the loop when it comes to normie consoomer tech, how does amazon have this level of control over peoples devices?

People actually pay Amazon to put "Alexa" surveillance devices in their homes.

 

[Exigent Circumcisions]

Good, they deserve it.

 

[The-Patriarchy]

"Sidewalk is designed with multiple layers of privacy and security to secure data traveling on the network and to keep customers safe and in control," Amazon said. "For example, Sidewalk Bridge owners do not receive any information about devices owned by others connected to Sidewalk."

So sidewalk gives you added "security" by not allowing you to see what potential intruder devices are using your wifi to download CP and Cursed Hentai? No thanks.

Amazon automatically opted in customers with Sidewalk-eligible devices. They stressed user data is protected by multiple layers of encryption.

So when the creep down the street uses your wifi to download CP or send dick pics to kids, you have no way of detecting or stopping them because the encryption will protect their transmissions. Nice job, that is certainly the intended outcome.

 

[JohnDoe]

So when the creep down the street uses your wifi to download CP or send dick pics to kids, you have no way of detecting or stopping them because the encryption will protect their transmissions. Nice job, that is certainly the intended outcome

You can't judge people for trading in cheese pizza when everyone is doing it. Soon it will be normalized, just as (((they))) want it to be and soon enough if your local network traffic isn't 30% preteen camshows you will be labeled a deviant. Probably sent to a camp while your children are 'emancipated' from your abusive attempts to 'deprive' them of degeneracy.

 

[Lord of the Large Pants]

So it's a mesh network, except they didn't tell anybody they were doing it? Okay then.

 

[Professional iPad Hoarder]

While the idea on itself if well executed can be really interesting, for now the only "advantage" shown is that your echo (and ring camera*) will continue to work if your wifi is down and your neighbor is close enough to "borrow" his wifi.

* Since we don't know for sure if they are using wifi or other longer range technologies like LoRa (that have a better range but less bandwidth) it's hard to say if it will be good enough for streaming a single camera feed or even just normally using your echo (sending a voice clip to the cloud).

Add to the fact that is not only completely proprietary (i.e: you have to trust amazon) and auto opt-in it's a very hard sell for me and if you already have some amazon iot device on your home, consider opting-out.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

So sidewalk gives you added "security" by not allowing you to see what potential intruder devices are using your wifi to download CP

Gives the authorities a reason to knock on your door and look through your stuff if they feel like it.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

Why is this stuff always on by default? If you know no one wants to willingly use a feature, don't include it in the first place. The good news is the Echo Dot second gen does not support this. The bad news is Alexa knows where you sleep.

Gives the authorities a reason to knock on your door and look through your stuff if they feel like it.

Quick, hide your Nintendo ROMs. The pigs are afoot!

 

[Picklechu]

I personally don't see why anyone would have an Echo device to begin with, but it's still shitty that they force people to opt out. It would also definitely make me reconsider setting up a Ring system if I ever own a single-family home or something other than a condo.

There's another thing that does something similar called Helium, but Helium at least pays you in cryptocurrency for it.

 

[VIPPER?]

And here I was thinking it was a bad time in tech history to try setting up a honeypot network

 

[Kikkoman]

I personally don't see why anyone would have an Echo device to begin with, but it's still shitty that they force people to opt out. It would also definitely make me reconsider setting up a Ring system if I ever own a single-family home or something other than a condo.

There's another thing that does something similar called Helium, but Helium at least pays you in cryptocurrency for it.

I had one for a week as a gift, it was great if i wanted to drunkenly shout at a hockey puck from the other room to tell me the weather but not good for much else. They also seem to randomly let anyone pair to them as a bluetooth audio sink, which my neighbors did at 3am to blast hispanic rap.