a microphone in your kitchen and a camera at the front door - connected to amazon servers and shared with governments - has been normalized
pretty crazy. what can we learn from this?
Discussion
People look at me like I'm the crazy one when I ask them to turn off Alexa before we have intimate conversations.
Does it make a difference when our phones are watching and listening anyway? But I get your point.
That is the point. People will continue to use these devices, even those that are aware and against it, even though there are easy alternatives that work just as good.
I use GrapheneOS on a DeGoogled phone with zero Google anything. There is no spying happening through my phone other than the cell service provider tracking and logging my every move.
I run Linux, and use privacy web browsers such as LibreWolf.
I use Brave Search engine and Mojeek search engine. Never use search engines that feed personal data and money back to Big Tech.
I host my own Nextcloud open-source online ecosystem, which gives me synchronized calendar, contacts, tasks, and more across all my devices. It also gives me document collaboration, file share, and Zoom like video conferencing, which will also do calls between phones, over my own server. Nextcloud does much more than just these features. It's a must have for personal privacy.
Of course Microsoft, Google and Apple will tell you open-source is not up to par, but the truth is it is better. Just make sure the hardware you buy supporters Linux.
There area many good manufacturers that sell computers with Linux pre-loaded, which guarantees Linux will run on your computer. (Purism, Star Labs, Slimbook, System 76, Juno, Nova Custom, Tuxedo, Kubuntu Focus, Dell, etc..)
Why even have an Alexa. Spyware in the home for what purpose?
"oh come on they are not listening"
"But I don't have anything to hide"
"As if you are so interesting that they want to hear what you say"
I require that Alexa is OUTSIDE the room! Otherwise there is no conversation...
Most people reply to this from their always listening phones.
We live in a surveillance state.
Feel the same when i tell them i completelly disabled internet connection to alexa via router. For me it's just a dumb stylish table clock 😂
Convenience Over Privacy has been standardized by world overlords
The normalization of surveillance devices in our homes highlights the importance of privacy and data security.
Tks for advocating for freedom tech 🫂💜
That and giving away your address and phone number to random business that definitely don’t need that information is wild to me. Gotta bring back the ‘that’s none of your business’ culture.
Scary stuff. Wish we could teach the younger generation the importance of having control over our own personal information
I think the same thing, but I see that my millennial and generation Z sons they don´t care, even don´t think about this
Take it you fight back
Charge you and you pay with joy
Don't fall for this shit.
Do the same, but connected to your home pi
That most people don’t give a fuck until it’s too late and even then they are too weak to stand up for what is right.
America has had it to easy for far too long. People complain about the most basic bullshit (genders, sex changes, Ukraine) on a day to day basis and stuff their faces with seed oils & toxic sludge, work their boring ass easy 9-5, come home to their overpriced home that they think is a good investment but barely spend anytime in with families, and turn on their propaganda machine until they fall asleep. Repeat the next day and the next for 30 years and then die never standing up for anything worth shit in their lives.
Most will sleep walk right into a totalitarian communist state just like the Jews did in Nazi Germany. We will not. We will win.
To be fair, when I’m in bed and I say, “Alexa, turn off all the lights” and I don’t need to get up to do it, I feel like a wizard, and I’m willing to sacrifice a little privacy for that, because it makes my life better.
U mean, since thanks to Alexa you can turn off the lights without having to stand up, you are ok with letting them hear everything u do?
That’s weird
While I see your point, 100% the speakers listen for commands, but they don’t “hear” anything or begin computing/processing until triggered.
It isn’t as though a person is writing a story about the sounds of my sex life, but if he does, I’d buy it…
How do they hear the "trigger" if they are not listening?
“They” is a computer, not a person analyzing your ambient noise. The computer doesn’t begin any action until the trigger word is deployed
You don’t like the “they” pronoun?
Like we are conspiracy theorists?
You were using “they” as though “they” were physical person(s), I disagreed and suggested “they” are computers who don’t understand or process any data unless triggered to do so.
No issue with the pronoun, I identify as they/them to get out of all my traffic tickets solo-driving in the HOV lane.
You get: A remote light switch.
You loose: Your privacy.
I also get remote boiling water, laundry machine notifications, television and projector control, humidifier, vacuum, and all in addition to my lighting dog monitoring and treat dispenser control.
In exchange a computer gets to listen to me underwhelming my tinder dates for minutes…
I had a room mate in college who would open the bathroom shutters at night when he wanted to shower. Same vibe.
Convenience is king
Most people want to be cattle. Most people want convenience over all else. Most people trust big tech and the government. Most people won't act until it's too late.
That the average person sees the state as a father to be trusted instead of an intruder to be mistrusted.
In other words, people don’t study history 😥
Turn key totalitarianism will be bought and paid for by its eventual victims willingly
Tech advanced so fast in our lives that most don’t understand that they should care about their privacy. It’s up to those who do understand to build the systems that respect personal sovereignty.
Everyone has their limit
If you build it they will come
Lower your time-preference
Either most people are not aware of privacy issues or they simply don't care (until it's too late).
I've got a few German friends (from the former East German prison state) who either shy away from social media or at least use fake names/birthdays/etc, prefer cash and limit their use of "smart" devices. They say it's ingrained in their culture due to the Stasi that existed until 1990.
Another type of scary "smart" device are internet connected TVs. Many models have built in microphones and their T&C even state that they send audio recordings to third parties. Most smart TVs don't get software updates for very long, so they are only going to get easier to hack into over time.
We need to get on an island, and fast!
The long con is very effective.
Does it really make a difference when everyone carries a smart phone and has a wireless router in the house?
Given the French police recently activated some bullshit riot prevention laws to backdoor and activate phones microphones and cameras we know they have the capability.
And WiFi signals can be used to literally map out your entire families' movements in and around your home it's wild.
Does running a privacy OS like Graphene or Calyx with a VPN behind Tor and a no KYC eSIM mitigate or eliminate that threat?
we should be concerned about all invasions of privacy, but your phone's camera can't be remotely activated without first infecting the device and the wifi tracking within a home is a targeted attack and not one that fits most people's threat models. do what is best for you and learn more about the threats from which you wish to protect yourself.
My understanding is the French feds had no issue simply enacting a law that allowed them to remotely activate microphones and cameras. Whether that means they always had the capacity or need to hijack devices with zero days/backdoors I can't be sure but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they simply had remote access handed to them on a plate.
We desperately need open source, open hardware phones with something like graphene os. Otherwise I think it's safe to assume the feds have root access to all devices.
"Otherwise I think it's safe to assume the feds have root access to all devices. "
i think it's over the top to assume this, but everyone should do as they please.
You can disable all of the tracking in these things. Use GrapheneOS for starters
People say they want freedom, but give it away if it's shipped to their doorstep and comes in a shiny new box that talks to them
I don't have these things but do have a cell phone & laptop which is much the same
Consider masking tape or painter's tape to cover cameras (on both phone and laptop)
Look into faraday bags
I've learned that people are fucking idiots, and they are going to clap like handicaps when all the IOT tech gets shoved down their throats.
Smart metres etc
Friend of mine had a smart toothbrush the other day. What the fuck like.
Does it brush his stupid teeth for him? What the fuck does it offer over a regular brush or electric brush?
That humans haven't changed and people give up freedom for security or convenience before eventually losing both.
That our Founding Fathers had incredible foresight and decentralizing power projection via the 2nd amendment is crucial for a free society. 
The worst thing I saw yesterday was an ‘influential who’ on the letter app advocating towards an eye scanning scam based on the fact that everyone already normalized giving their information to the government
Don't do it. Oh and we need FREEFone asap since according to Snowden the sim is a standalone computer that can run malicious code with the phone off!
And what about #privacy, when all of yoir stuff on a cloud (even Amazon). Nothing on-premise?
That your individual freedom is handed over easily. Get Trojan horse vibes of that. After realizing you’ve given your freedom away under the guise of comfort people hopefully realize what they gave away. However I honestly think it’ll require a global paradigm shift.
Had you asked me this question 8years ago I wouldn’t think about it. You helped and still helping me on these subjects. Thank you!🙏🏻
recent news:
doorbell camera sends images to a server, which acess FB facial image database and performs face recognition - so the homeowner can see in the app who has ringed his door.
They promised that they will keep the identities private (except, off course, if the government asks nicely)
Using face data which the catle gave them smiling just for the small convenience of seeing their names written over their faces in FB
I’ve had this conversation with a few people and they seemed to not care. The convenience seemed more valuable to them. However, some were disturbed by the privacy violations when I showed the location tracking on their phone. The best way to illustrate it was opening their iPhone settings and showing them the logs of places they’ve been to that are stored on apple servers. This was enough to make them at least delete the logs and disable tracking.
That it doesn’t stop there, as we also have a camera, microphone, and location tracker on our person at all times when we carry a phone.
People will accept convenience without thinking twice.
Then, they will defend their choice when challenged by good-faith criticism.
"Well, I have nothing to hide!" is the response.
Still working on alternatives/solutions for those close to me.. It's an uphill battle and I don't want them to get burned.
Opting in to the digital panopticon for convenience.
The world has already bifurcated; macro-results TBA:
Group A: Convenience > Sovereignty
Group B: Sovereignty > Convenience
People in ths 60s: "I better not say that or the government will wiretap my house".
People in current year: "Hey wiretap, do you have a recipe for pancakes?"
Our species has been slowly dumbed down by dark social engineers to only want convenience. Sovereignty requires self-love, grit, and putting in the time. This gives freedom tech creators an opportunity to educate and build great things to help others get their digital lives back.
Mucho por aprender, tengo echo dot Alexa de Amazon, estoy viendo de desenchufarla y guardarla en el cajón 🥲
Join me game
Make sure to disable the battery
I got into an argument on Next-door after trying to explain the privacy risks to my neighbors when they all started installing these about 5 years ago. Our local police department even had an opt-in contract to remotely access these things and folks liked that idea. I was called all manner of names and labelled a conspiracy theorist. Needless to say I no longer use NextDoor or talk to these people.
The microphone on your phone goes where ever you go.
The other day, I spoke to a friend about Van Gogh, completely random, and the next day I got commercials for Van Gogh themed bed linnen 🤔.
Why? Who wants Van Gogh themed bed linnen?
What an incredible coincidence.
“Convenience always prevails”?
Thanks nostr:npub1qny3tkh0acurzla8x3zy4nhrjz5zd8l9sy9jys09umwng00manysew95gx for all you do for freedom tech. I listened to your interview with Peter Mccormack. Very inspiring 👍
the past of least resistance will always be selected for. if digital privacy & sovereignty is to become the new norm, it must be the most convenient option.
True. Gradually it's becoming that convenient. I remember the evolution from PGP email to Signal to nostr:npub1exv22uulqnmlluszc4yk92jhs2e5ajcs6mu3t00a6avzjcalj9csm7d828. Unbelievable.
Commercialized IOT was bad back in the day. Now Its just gonna get worse.
Most people who don't know, won't know that this tech can be used in nefarious ways, and will have homes with built-in motion tracking, body analysis, continuous listening devices in the background.
I can see only 2 ways around this:
Go Analog at home
Or
Be a chad and build your own secure network. Its actually not that hard with a couple of arduinos.
On a side note, the MAKER FAIRE IS BAAAAACCCCKKKKK!!!!
So very excited as the Maker Faire is #1 way you can get started in DIY Hardware and Crafts. So if you have no idea how to get started this is the place to go, online or in IRL.
nostr:note1gp6atpuhptjarzp9dwny86w3250a8zgvkgxa9ec2e9h3jx34pw5smngka7
We used to know better . . .
I can never forget the moment while watching CitizenFour such when nostr:npub1sn0wdenkukak0d9dfczzeacvhkrgz92ak56egt7vdgzn8pv2wfqqhrjdv9 put those phones inside an oven at the hotel room in Hong Kong in 2013.
+1
What can we learn from this?
My two cents:
More education is needed, most people I have encountered using all these anti privacy gadgets has no clue of what they are really giving away and the potential consequences...
Once you make them understand, that is not only their data being sold, which amazingly enough most don't care, but cyber criminals could hack them and tap into their gadgets to robe them or worst... They rapidly understand the risk and out of fear opt out and stop using them...
-----------------------------------
Fix the Money, fix the World,
Not your Keys, not your Bitcoin, be Unconfiscatable
Not your Nostr Relay, not your Data, be Uncensorable
-----------------------------------
#Bitcoin
#BTC
#LightingNetwork⚡
#LN ⚡
#Nostr
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"Alexa, unlock the front door"
😂
my grandma remember they been first family in village who has TV, so neighbours were coming to watch :-)
similar story is about telephone line ...
what I want to say is that technology is coming to our live but not all people understand how TV or phone lines works, what is behind. mostly they are happy those things works.
my neighbours are using cheap chinese cameras to monitor areas around houses ...
We can learn that most people don't care for privacy until it's too late.
I think they don't know where there data will go and what they will be used for. They trust. And that's the mistake.
Bro this is pretty wild and I'm no tech guy by fuck I understand privacy
Amazon Echo's use a RFM69HCW chip which share via radio frequency to other Echo's in the neighborhood and create a mesh network
I ask for the same. Lol you're not alone.
Yeah that's what I thought too so I got myself a door camera from google instead.
We haven't hit peak surveillance tech yet 😞
Just had this happen: I was visiting a friend's house and was taken aback when his mother said, "Alexa, set timer for 25 minutes," as she worked on dinner in the kitchen. I explained the surveillance issues behind this tech and my friend said, "I know, but my mom has diabetes and it's really good for her to set alarms for her blood checks and injections." I was too stunned to even mention the obvious solutions.
People just don't care. Now I don't wannavisit anymore.
To anyone who has a roku, try to turn off voice recording in settings. It doesn't let me. I unplug all my shit when I'm not avtively using it
may I have the link to the news story? I can't find it anymore