This week, online powerhouse Amazon rolls out a new free service called Sidewalk, and with it comes a serious, unprecedented attack on your personal right to privacy.
The new features of this service are somewhat controversial, depending on who you ask, of course… don’t be surprised if you don’t see anything about this in the liberal media.
If you’re already using Amazon products like the Echo or Tile, then you’re probably used to the fact that the tech company already knows more than it should about your personal information.
But with Sidewalk, Amazon is going to have A LOT more access to your devices, and so will other strangers…
The most dangerous feature that Sidewalk uses sounds simple… It works by telling your current devices to share a slice of their internet with any Amazon-made device in range.
In other words, part of your internet is going to be immediately available to anyone – unless you turn off the ‘feature’. At the same time, your device is going to start connecting to anything it can find, potentially threatening your privacy.
According to Amazon, the service is meant to help people get a better connection… but would anyone give away their privacy for a little convenience?
I don’t think so. Here’s how to stop Amazon’s latest assault on your privacy: jump into the settings for all of your Amazon devices, go down to the Account Settings, then into the Amazon Sidewalk section, turning it off from there.
Sidewalk is an automatic service, and once it’s rolled out, the default is on, so you’ve got to turn it off. If you hadn’t heard of Sidewalk before, they’ve got what they wanted… rolling this thing out without giving you a chance to say no.
Allowing strangers to connect to your networked devices is incredibly risky, and not an easy sell to most Americans who actually value their privacy…
There is a high chance that something goes wrong at some point; it seems inevitable that someone will eventually hack into another user’s network and gain access to all their personal data.
Another major concern with Sidewalk is the integration of third-party company devices and the increased vulnerability that comes with it. Once third-party devices start becoming Sidewalk compatible, your data is going to be even more vulnerable…
All it would take for your data to be compromised is some third-party company disobeying policy or being infiltrated by outside hacking.
Amazon has introduced a shocking new risk with this technology, and all we can do is sit back and watch how it unfolds while we figure out how to protect ourselves.
Not just Amazon but Facebook, Google’s any social pages following. Lots of fraud.
The Biden admin clearly cannot be trusted. Biden reportedly has long history of corruption. I will never give Amazon cards or use them again after we use them up.
This is So True.
It would be a terrible commentary if Amazon is broadcasting things violating our privacy.
Such a poor business to violate our confidence in them.