Amazon shuts down customer’s smart home devices after delivery driver’s false racism claim

[Kamaji]

Amazon shuts down customer’s smart home devices after delivery driver’s false racism claim

By Emily Crane
June 15, 2023

Amazon shut off a man’s smart home devices for a week after a delivery driver falsely accused the customer of hurling a racial slur via a doorbell intercom, the tech giant confirmed Thursday.

Brandon Jackson, who is black, said he found himself digitally exiled by the company on May 25 — less than 24 hours after an Amazon delivery driver dropped off a package at his home and reported him for being racist.

The homeowner, who detailed the saga in a Medium post, said he was informed of the unwarranted lockout after contacting Amazon when he realized he couldn’t interact with his smart home devices.

“I was told that the driver who had delivered my package reported receiving racist remarks from my ‘Ring doorbell’,” Jackson said.

Jackson, an engineer at Microsoft, was quick to point out flaws in the allegation — including that none of his family members were actually home when the package was dropped off.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/06/15/amazon-shuts-down-customers-smart-home-devices-over-false-racist-claim/

[Kamaji]

Big brother is already here.

[Smokin Joe]

How long before delivery drivers demand protection money or they will get you locked out?

[Kamaji]

How long before delivery drivers demand protection money or they will get you locked out?

How long before Amazon starts scouring the interwebs for your content, using an AI to "evaluate" it, and then shutting off your services without notice if the AI finds content that it concludes was offensive?

And just wait until we get digital currency in.

That Amazon is doing this now is a clear indication that, once banks have the power to do so, it will not take much pushing from the government for banks to start cutting people off from their accounts in the same manner.

[Smokin Joe]

How long before Amazon starts scouring the interwebs for your content, using an AI to "evaluate" it, and then shutting off your services without notice if the AI finds content that it concludes was offensive?

And just wait until we get digital currency in.

That Amazon is doing this now is a clear indication that, once banks have the power to do so, it will not take much pushing from the government for banks to start cutting people off from their accounts in the same manner.

Well, this is why I have been resisting having 'smart' devices in my home.

[bigheadfred]

This makes the Luddite in me smile.

[Smokin Joe]

This makes the Luddite in me smile.

[Kamaji]

Well, this is why I have been resisting having 'smart' devices in my home.

Exactly.  The question is, how much longer can one avoid it?  In the home, probably for a while; in economic affairs, probably not so long, unless one wants to live as a hermit.  Barter economies will very quickly be outlawed.

[roamer_1]

Big brother is already here.

Only if you let him in the house.

There is something to that... Demons, vampires, etc. have to be invited into a domicile...
Don't eat anything prepared by faeries or you will become trapped or suffer a slow death...

Funny how modernity seems to be following after the myths...

[240B]

This is why the government is pushing so hard for electric vehicles, electric stove, and all electric heat A/C (with no electricity to power them) and all digital currency. Because that puts everything under their control in terms of tracking every single thing you do as well as button push on/off power to control you.

This is the exact example of what they have in mind. Not only your home, but they can lock you out of your money, your car, your heat, your ability to cook food, everything. When everything become digital and electric, government will have absolute control to reward or punish you based on how they perceive your behavior and how you think.

[DCPatriot]

This is why the government is pushing so hard for electric vehicles, electric stove, and all electric heat A/C (with no electricity to power them) and all digital currency. Because that puts everything under their control in terms of tracking every single thing you do as well as button push on/off power to control you.

This is the exact example of what they have in mind. Not only your home, but they can lock you out of your money, your car, your heat, your ability to cook food, everything. When everything become digital and electric, government will have absolute control to reward or punish you based on how they perceive your behavior and how you think.

It's like a plot for a STAR-TREK or TWILIGHT ZONE episode.

[Kamaji]

This is why the government is pushing so hard for electric vehicles, electric stove, and all electric heat A/C (with no electricity to power them) and all digital currency. Because that puts everything under their control in terms of tracking every single thing you do as well as button push on/off power to control you.

This is the exact example of what they have in mind. Not only your home, but they can lock you out of your money, your car, your heat, your ability to cook food, everything. When everything become digital and electric, government will have absolute control to reward or punish you based on how they perceive your behavior and how you think.

[bigheadfred]

Unburden yourselves! Be FREE!!! Just as long as "All your base are belong to us".

[unite for individuality]

How long before Amazon starts scouring the interwebs for your content, using an AI to "evaluate" it, and then shutting off your services without notice if the AI finds content that it concludes was offensive?

And just wait until we get digital currency in.

That Amazon is doing this now is a clear indication that, once banks have the power to do so, it will not take much pushing from the government for banks to start cutting people off from their accounts in the same manner.

The government does not control the banks.
The banks control the government.

Privatized tyranny is still tyranny.

This is yet another example of what I call
the global corporate dictatorship.
People worry about the NSA and the Utah Data Center.
The global corporations ALREADY have the ability to delete you.
AND ARE USING IT!

[DefiantMassRINO]

I prefer for my home appliances to be as dumb as I am.

[mountaineer]

This makes the Luddite in me smile.

Ditto.

[Free Vulcan]

I quit chasing the tech dragon a long time ago. We achieved comfortable living standards long before the internet based matrix came about, and we are to the point of marginal returns now. People are going to pay a steep price for a little bit of convenience.

[berdie]

I prefer for my home appliances to be as dumb as I am.

Ab-so-lutely!

[GtHawk]

It's like a plot for a STAR-TREK or TWILIGHT ZONE episode.

If we are not careful we will end up a episode of One Step Beyond.

Like The Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond is a hosted anthology series about other-wordly phenomena. And while The Twilight Zone was explicitly a fictional show (with both science fiction and fantasy episodes), One Step Beyond purported only to tell stories based on "human record" (documented historical events).

[The_Reader_David]

I prefer for my home appliances to be as dumb as I am.

Quite, when making the assertion that you think your refrigerator is spying on you has ceased to be a sign of paranoid schizophrenia, and become, instead, the statement of a rational risk assessment, something has gone very wrong.

[Gefn]

It's like a plot for a STAR-TREK or TWILIGHT ZONE episode.

Or Black Mirror

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Most smart home stuff doesn’t automate as much as you might think. When matter devices become the standard hopefully this kind of thing will cease, as matter devices can live without a cloud connection.

[roamer_1]

Most smart home stuff doesn’t automate as much as you might think. When matter devices become the standard hopefully this kind of thing will cease, as matter devices can live without a cloud connection.

Better perhaps... But that still must either be separated from internet, or you must trust that the controller does not phone home, and cannot be overridden remotely.

Their intention is telegraphed by California having the temerity to assume control over heat and air in private homes. And that with no notice whatsoever. That kind of control is addictive, and that's where it is going, you can bet money.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Better perhaps... But that still must either be separated from internet, or you must trust that the controller does not phone home, and cannot be overridden remotely.

Their intention is telegraphed by California having the temerity to assume control over heat and air in private homes. And that with no notice whatsoever. That kind of control is addictive, and that's where it is going, you can bet money.

Matter devices can supposedly be run entirely by third party devices, completely disconnected from the cloud or internet. Should we trust them? Well... at least in theory you can have true privacy and use devices even if the parent company goes out of business. Of course, companies can always screw around in ways people anticipated.

[Fishrrman]

GT wrote:
"If we are not careful we will end up an episode of One Step Beyond.
Like The Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond is a hosted anthology series about other-wordly phenomena. And while The Twilight Zone was explicitly a fictional show (with both science fiction and fantasy episodes), One Step Beyond purported only to tell stories based on "human record" (documented historical events)."

Interesting that you posted that, because I'm currently in the process of watching ALL of the "One Step Beyond" original tv episodes.

You can find them on youtube, here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qApSk9DMrtY&list=PLmHgXUJMN1TVJBC22tHcibo0fqHqy-rqF&index=1
(the list, however, is not "in order")