Amazon Shuts Down Smart Home for a Week Over Racist Slur Claim

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This is fairly disturbing and the more we move to an electronic society, the more that peoples lives can literally be shut down on a whim. I know many here will say "Just don't be a racist", but that is not the point. It's the listening to private conversations and making an action, based up that said conversation.

I use these devises more than I probably should. After reading this story, it surely makes me wonder if this a terrible decision and not having a smart home is the better way to go.

 

It was wrong of Amazon to do this, completely wrong.

Probably not the smartest idea to wire up your home with products from a company that can shut them down on a whim. And if Amazon can access your home from the outside to do it, so can anyone else with the the technical knowledge. Not exactly secure if you ask me.

 

This story has me SERIOUSLY reconsidering my setup!

 

So I can mess with my neighbor by claiming his doorbell insulted me? Seems like someone at Amazon is making bad decisions in the name of being woke.

 

This is both diabolical, paranoia-inducing and ingenius all at the same time

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...for-a-week-over-racist-slur-claim/ar-AA1cAYMV

"He claimed security camera footage revealed his doorbell had issued an automated response—"Excuse me, can I help you?"—as the driver was walking away while wearing headphones, suggesting he must have misheard the message."

weird the driver would even call Amazon and file a complaint, I would investigate if this was the first time such a complaint has been made by this driver

but also, Amazon should not be canceling accounts over this regardless, even had it been true

 

I agree. He said it was an Eufy door bell that has an automated response, but if it does have an issue where it's hard to understand and can easily be misinterpreted, then Eufy (which is also owned by Amazon) needs to get that fixed.

And you last statement, I emphatically agree with. It sets a dangerous precedence.

 

Just wait till the automated door bell miss-genders a 6'3" bearded male in a sun dress. Whole company will have to shut down.

 

My advice would be to avoid a "smart home".

 

This brings up a question to all those smart devices we have, including TVs, that listen to everything we say:

Are people with security clearances who often work from home allowed to have them?

 

You know that's an excellent question, can you imagine Biden's Alexa getting hacked?

 

Like them of not — Apple is way more serious about stuff like this. They went to court to defend an actual terrorist and routinely tell governments to get a warrant.

Siri isn’t as good as Alexa but you also don’t have to worry about this.

 

I recall a story from many years ago how countries got spied on by have software put on printers that phones home everything that's printed. With enough people analyzing what was coming back along with computers filtering out certain stuff, it was relatively easy to block the printers that little Johnny used for his homework, and keep the stuff from corporations and governments. I don't recall which country was responsible, but the software was installed at the factory which probably means China.

 

This really should have been common knowledge ever since Onstar was a thing.

People working in their call centers would routinely listen in to devices in peoples cars for kicks.

So yes, people can and do tune in to such devices. Cell phones and teslas included.

 

Wokeness is for the mentally ill. Seriously.

 

I'm no Apple fan... but this does make me consider transitioning.

 

So, who taught the doorbell to be racist?

 

AI... surely it's AI!

 

The same person that taught Alex Baldwin's RUST set gun to fire ALL ON ITS OWN FREE WILL

 

I have some smart appliances but I am not especially worried about it. It isn't like you have a lot of choice these days if you want to hide from technology. I don't use a smart doorbell though. It would be annoying as hell in my situation because my neighbors' teenage kids often use my walk between the two houses when coming or going to their basement, especially late at night, which passes right by my door. I told them they could because my part is flat and theirs is a steep slope. They aren't a problem but having my cell going off at 2 am would be.

 

Never give these fascist people power over your homes. They WILL use it, it’s only a matter of time and exactly how far they take it. And they will justify their leftist fascism every step of the way.

 

It's the listening to private conversations and making an action
Let this be a warning to everyone. I assure you, Amazon is not the only one. My money it is as close to 100% as one can get, that every major corp is using methods as such to glom personal data, for market targeting and a resell of the data, to the highest bidder. This personal data can/will/is be used in AI tools to help them market users and such, law enforcement can use it too.

 

Welcome to capitalism. Amazon is doing this kind of stuff to not lose profit, or to make more profit. Profit is good, right? Plus, you can just switch to another smart home service provider, because of competition, right? Oh, nevermind, they all do the same shananigans.

BTW: As you are using the computer while typing this post, I am sure someone out there is monitoring you and your clicks, so they can target advertising and content to you.

 

I'm so glad I don't have a 'smart home'. No Alexa, no Siri, no cameras for the state.

 

If you carry a smart phone, it is listening to everything. I wanted to know if there were scenes during the movie credits for the movie I was in. I typed "are there" and the first recommendation popped up immediately as "are there scenes during the credits for" the movie that I just watched. It new exactly what movie I was watching.