(Pixabay photo)
Amazon has a way of sneaking into our lives and making things incredibly easy. For convenience, there are often trade-offs.
Many people are unaware that they have a public profile on Amazon.
Your public profile is created automatically whether you want it or not, and it includes your comments and any reviews you have left on products purchased on Amazon.
Your biographical information and other site interactions will also be posted on your profile.
Now that you know you have a public profile, take back your privacy. Tap or click here to get the steps to edit your Amazon public profile and delete other personal information on the site.
It seems that wherever you go something is following you. Your phone’s GPS monitors you, security cameras have images of you, and even doorbell cameras can turn neighborhoods into surveillance networks.
Amazon’s Ring cameras are watching and hundreds of police departments can use the footage. Tap or click here for the steps to check your Ring and who can access your feed.
Amazon recently emailed Ring and Echo owners letting them know that they are automatically signed up to the new Sidewalk initiative. It sounds promising, “Sidewalk.” Before you accept the automatic entry, you need to know the facts. It may be enough to unsubscribe.
What is sidewalk?
About a year ago, Amazon quietly announced a new product called Sidewalk, which is basically a mesh network that extends your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection range by up to a mile.
Sidewalk turns your Echo speakers and Ring gadgets into bridge devices. That gives internet-connected technology far from your router, such as lights at the edge of your driveway, a real boost.
How exactly does that work? Sidewalk uses a “small portion” of your Internet bandwidth to pass energy-efficient Bluetooth connections and 900 MHz radio signals to all those connected devices.
The device list includes Ring’s Floodlight Cam, Spotlight Cam Wired, and Spotlight Cam Mount from 2019 or later, along with most Echo models (including the Dot, Plus, Show, Dot for Kids, and Studio) made after 2016.
Amazon grabs your internet to use with others
Think of this as a smart neighborhood that is Sidewalk ready and borrows bandwidth from you and your neighbors. The more households join this network, the bigger it gets.
We want better WiFi and it’s annoying when our connected devices aren’t working. You don’t want your outdoor lighting, motion sensors or security cameras to go offline.
But at what cost? The first question is how much of your bandwidth Sidewalk uses. Amazon says total monthly data is limited to 500MB per account, or the equivalent of streaming 10 minutes of HD video.
It’s really not much. If 10 minutes a month can boost my connected devices, that sounds great. But wait, there is more.
Is Sidewalk Safe?
If you’re concerned about the potential privacy implications, good. Amazon promises that the Sidewalk network uses three layers of encryption and that your neighbors won’t be able to see your data.
They might say that, but many individual smart gadgets aren’t great when it comes to cybersecurity. All a hacker needs is one compromised device to get into your network. Ultimately, your technology will be connected to a network that you cannot control.
Bottom line, it may be safe, but the Internet of Things is notorious for its insecure devices and lack of updates. There is no standard. I wouldn’t trust it.
My advice: unsubscribe and here’s how
Not every compatible device can access Sidewalk yet. Check if Sidewalk is already enabled with the Alexa app on your phone.
First, visit the iOS App Store or Google Play to make sure you have the latest version of the Alexa app installed. After downloading the app, log in to your Amazon account and follow these steps:
1. In the Alexa app, tap More followed by Settings.
2. Tap Account Settings, followed by Amazon Sidewalk.
3. Turn off Amazon Sidewalk if you don’t want to participate.
A few more privacy checks
Echo speakers consume a lot of personal data even when Sidewalk is turned off. To take a deep dive into your Echo’s privacy settings, use our guide to show you the top options to tackle.
Tap or click here to set up Alexa with the best privacy settings you need.
What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call Kim’s National Radio Show and tap or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to or watch The Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, television or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.