The Briefing Room

General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Topic started by: 240B on December 01, 2020, 12:45:55 am

Title: Amazon Sidewalk is activating on Echo devices, even if you don't switch it on
Post by: 240B on December 01, 2020, 12:45:55 am

CNET
David Priest
Nov. 30, 2020 9:21 a.m. PT

If you have a new Amazon Echo smart speaker, a Ring Spotlight Cam or a Ring Floodlight Cam, you might want to check your app settings: Amazon is automatically switching Sidewalk, a feature that slices off some of your Wi-Fi bandwidth to create a farther-reaching network for Amazon devices using Bluetooth or 900MHz radio signals to communicate, to "on" in the Alexa app.

Amazon Sidewalk has the potential to increase the range of your smart home devices -- making them more reliable at greater distances from your router and other gear -- but its privacy and security implications remain largely untested.

(more)
https://www.cnet.com/news/amazon-sidewalk-is-activating-on-echo-devices-even-if-you-dont-switch-it-on/

Yet one more reason I will never allow these monitoring devices in my home.
(https://i.imgur.com/Sa2t7L7.jpg)

Title: Re: Amazon Sidewalk is activating on Echo devices, even if you don't switch it on
Post by: txradioguy on December 01, 2020, 12:48:50 am

Going to check my devices right now

Title: Re: Amazon Sidewalk is activating on Echo devices, even if you don't switch it on
Post by: Elderberry on December 01, 2020, 01:04:27 am

I sent that to my daughter. She just ordered Ring.