Privacy - this is getting ridiculous (1 Viewer)

[Scoresman]

What kind of data is breached here? The article says "Details of your Wifi network" but what does that include?

I have a few things connected to the web so I can control things like thermostat from my phone when away, or our thing that shoots cat treats out when we are away.

 

[Sand]

What kind of data is breached here? The article says "Details of your Wifi network" but what does that include?

I have a few things connected to the web so I can control things like thermostat from my phone when away, or our thing that shoots cat treats out when we are away.

It's unclear and I'll bet they really don't know the extent of the breach.

 

[RCon]

When it gets down to it I don't think there is any actual utility to having the vast majority of these things live to the web. What do you get out of it, really?

Depends on the device, really.

WiFi-enabled pellet smoker? Awesome to check and change temperatures. Cameras, thermostats, and water leak sensors? Definitely useful when I'm away. Again, though, none of these are on the primary network, but instead connected to a Guest WiFi network.

Air fryer? Refrigerator? Coffee maker? Absolutely not.

 

[fatness]

What kind of data is breached here? The article says "Details of your Wifi network" but what does that include?

"Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler identified the non-password protected database, which included WiFi network names, passwords, IP addresses, device numbers, and more."

 

[fatness]

Since many people are collecting Social Security, their personal information may not be private much longer.

"the top official at the Social Security Administration, left her position this weekend after she refused a request from .... Department of Government Efficiency to access sensitive government records at the agency"

"some of the information involved in the dispute included Americans’ bank information, social security numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, dates of birth and in some cases medical records if a person has applied for disability benefits."

 

[Instinctive]

When it gets down to it I don't think there is any actual utility to having the vast majority of these things live to the web. What do you get out of it, really?

Depends on the device, really.

WiFi-enabled pellet smoker? Awesome to check and change temperatures. Cameras, thermostats, and water leak sensors? Definitely useful when I'm away. Again, though, none of these are on the primary network, but instead connected to a Guest WiFi network.

Air fryer? Refrigerator? Coffee maker? Absolutely not.

Yeah im now thinking about whether I need to go change everything to our guest network and what a giant pain in the *** that would be. When you're home does that mean you have your phone on the guest wifi? Because most things Bluetooth to the phone and automatically use the same wi-fi when you do setup.

I think life stage matters a lot to what you have connected also. We can add to the list of stuff many may have like some smart lights (control color and dim and stuff from phone and can automate it), TV, thermostat...but then add baby monitors and baby sound machines too. Per baby!

 

[RCon]

Yeah im now thinking about whether I need to go change everything to our guest network and what a giant pain in the *** that would be. When you're home does that mean you have your phone on the guest wifi? Because most things Bluetooth to the phone and automatically use the same wi-fi when you do setup.

I think life stage matters a lot to what you have connected also. We can add to the list of stuff many may have like some smart lights (control color and dim and stuff from phone and can automate it), TV, thermostat...but then add baby monitors and baby sound machines too. Per baby!

Yeah, so the best practice is always going to be "it depends".

On most WiFi routers, you can create exactly 2 networks, one primary network where all devices can see/talk to each other, and one guest network where the devices are all siloed.
- Device A on primary network can talk to device B on primary network
- Device C on guest network cannot talk to device B on primary network
- Device C on guest network cannot talk to device D on guest network
In this case, you would determine the appropriate network for each device based on anticipated usage. For example, I need my laptop to be able to talk to my storage device and printer, so they all go on the primary network. My kids like to play LAN-connected games on their computers, so those go on the primary network. My water leak sensors only need to connect to the internet, so they go on the guest network.

My cameras are currently configured for live viewing only (no playback), so they only need internet access. If I wanted them to record data to the storage device, they'd need to be on the primary network.

As you pointed out, casting from a phone to a TV can usually be done via Bluetooth, so there may not be a need to connect the TV to the internet at all. If apps like Netflix, Hulu, etc. are loaded directly on the TV (as opposed to a separate device like Firestick or Apple TV), the TV will need internet access, but most likely does not need to be on the primary network.

If you have a more advanced router, you might be able to create multiple networks with various routing rules, but you'll likely need to be pretty skilled to do so.

 

[Instinctive]

Yeah im now thinking about whether I need to go change everything to our guest network and what a giant pain in the *** that would be. When you're home does that mean you have your phone on the guest wifi? Because most things Bluetooth to the phone and automatically use the same wi-fi when you do setup.

I think life stage matters a lot to what you have connected also. We can add to the list of stuff many may have like some smart lights (control color and dim and stuff from phone and can automate it), TV, thermostat...but then add baby monitors and baby sound machines too. Per baby!

Yeah, so the best practice is always going to be "it depends".

On most WiFi routers, you can create exactly 2 networks, one primary network where all devices can see/talk to each other, and one guest network where the devices are all siloed.
- Device A on primary network can talk to device B on primary network
- Device C on guest network cannot talk to device B on primary network
- Device C on guest network cannot talk to device D on guest network
In this case, you would determine the appropriate network for each device based on anticipated usage. For example, I need my laptop to be able to talk to my storage device and printer, so they all go on the primary network. My kids like to play LAN-connected games on their computers, so those go on the primary network. My water leak sensors only need to connect to the internet, so they go on the guest network.

My cameras are currently configured for live viewing only (no playback), so they only need internet access. If I wanted them to record data to the storage device, they'd need to be on the primary network.

As you pointed out, casting from a phone to a TV can usually be done via Bluetooth, so there may not be a need to connect the TV to the internet at all. If apps like Netflix, Hulu, etc. are loaded directly on the TV (as opposed to a separate device like Firestick or Apple TV), the TV will need internet access, but most likely does not need to be on the primary network.

If you have a more advanced router, you might be able to create multiple networks with various routing rules, but you'll likely need to be pretty skilled to do so.

Yeah, that helps. I think my takeaway is "I'd have to figure out what needs to actually be on the same network or not, which seems like a pain." LOL.

But I think my easy answer is - anything I can see or use when I'm not in the house is probably fine to be on a guest network, which I'll try to do from now on, but unless my wife is gonna swap all these to the guest network now, I'll live with what I think is a de minimis risk.

Thanks for the in depth answer!!

 

[Sparky Polastri]

Since many people are collecting Social Security, their personal information may not be private much longer.

"the top official at the Social Security Administration, left her position this weekend after she refused a request from .... Department of Government Efficiency to access sensitive government records at the agency"

"some of the information involved in the dispute included Americans’ bank information, social security numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, dates of birth and in some cases medical records if a person has applied for disability benefits."

Its just read access though right?

 

[The Z Machine]

Don't a lot of the IoT things work through the cloud though and not directly on the LAN?

Smart Light Bulb -> Central IoT Receiver -> Cloud <- iPhone

Honestly, I have no idea since I never had any of those Google Home, Alexa, Siri, whatever devices. Only a Nest thermostat that I know worked through the cloud.

 

[RCon]

Don't a lot of the IoT things work through the cloud though and not directly on the LAN?

Smart Light Bulb -> Central IoT Receiver -> Cloud <- iPhone

Honestly, I have no idea since I never had any of those Google Home, Alexa, Siri, whatever devices. Only a Nest thermostat that I know worked through the cloud.

Yes, exactly. That's why you would put most of those things on the Guest network. I want my water leak sensors to be attached to the internet. If the water leak sensor gets hacked, sure it's annoying and some info (like my ID/password for that device and my public IP address) might get stolen, but the device wouldn't have been talking to my laptop and grabbing additional info it doesn't need.

 

[fatness]

Since many people are collecting Social Security, their personal information may not be private much longer.

"the top official at the Social Security Administration, left her position this weekend after she refused a request from .... Department of Government Efficiency to access sensitive government records at the agency"

"some of the information involved in the dispute included Americans’ bank information, social security numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, dates of birth and in some cases medical records if a person has applied for disability benefits."

Its just read access though right?

There's no way to know that, to be honest.
Assuming it's read-only access, anything that can be read can be copied, so it's private information that would be available to any parties granted access.

 

[Sparky Polastri]

Since many people are collecting Social Security, their personal information may not be private much longer.

"the top official at the Social Security Administration, left her position this weekend after she refused a request from .... Department of Government Efficiency to access sensitive government records at the agency"

"some of the information involved in the dispute included Americans’ bank information, social security numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, dates of birth and in some cases medical records if a person has applied for disability benefits."

Its just read access though right?

There's no way to know that, to be honest.
Assuming it's read-only access, anything that can be read can be copied, so it's private information that would be available to any parties granted access.

 

[fatness]

Since many people are collecting Social Security, their personal information may not be private much longer.

"the top official at the Social Security Administration, left her position this weekend after she refused a request from .... Department of Government Efficiency to access sensitive government records at the agency"

"some of the information involved in the dispute included Americans’ bank information, social security numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, dates of birth and in some cases medical records if a person has applied for disability benefits."

Its just read access though right?

There's no way to know that, to be honest.
Assuming it's read-only access, anything that can be read can be copied, so it's private information that would be available to any parties granted access.

Yeah, I know. But other people read this topic and some probably think it's a real question, so I gave a real answer. Hopefully there's no problem with doing that.

 

[Mister CIA]

Not sure if this is the correct thread to post this in.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1iqxcaq/lifehack/#lightbox

 

[AAABatteries]

I'll live with what I think is a de minimis risk.

This is essentially my answer to the entire thread. I’m glad there’s folks watching out and paying attention, however.

 

[fatness]

Not sure if this is the correct thread to post this in.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1iqxcaq/lifehack/#lightbox

That's hilarious. Thanks.

 

[Sand]

So this lovely company, Tado, sells thermostats with an app for control. Mostly in the UK and Europe, but hang with me here. When buying the thermostat they offer a free, basic version of software and a smart version for a subscription. They then sent a message through the app they they were reneging on this arrangement and starting to charge for the basic version. Anyone who decided they needed access after a second message popped up that the free version was no more had to enter their contact info, payment info, etc. - only to find out that at the end of the signup process they then sent another message that basically said "Ha! You fool! This was just a marketing message. But thanks for clicking through to show that you would pay for this."

This is a Twilight Zone episode. And these are the ****ing morons that you trust with your data and control of your house.

This smart thermostat company told users it would start charging for its app

Tado considers monthly app fee

www.theverge.com

 

[Sand]

So Amazon Echo will now send all audio to their cloud for processing. No opting out.

De minimis? Anyone ok with Amazon recording you 24/7 and sending it back to the mothership?

Amazon’s Echo is ending its 'Do Not Send Voice Recordings' feature, starting March 28 | TechCrunch

Amazon Echo users will no longer have the option to process their Alexa voice recordings locally, which means those recordings (with the exception of

techcrunch.com

 

[The Z Machine]

So Amazon Echo will now send all audio to their cloud for processing. No opting out.

De minimis? Anyone ok with Amazon recording you 24/7 and sending it back to the mothership?

Amazon’s Echo is ending its 'Do Not Send Voice Recordings' feature, starting March 28 | TechCrunch

Amazon Echo users will no longer have the option to process their Alexa voice recordings locally, which means those recordings (with the exception of

techcrunch.com

Nope, not OK. I won't put one of those smart speakers in my house for this very reason. No need for anyone to listen to me 24/7.

 

[rockaction]

So Amazon Echo will now send all audio to their cloud for processing. No opting out.

De minimis? Anyone ok with Amazon recording you 24/7 and sending it back to the mothership?

No, but I've pretty much been against this "de minimis" invasion of privacy for a long time. If it's not that they'll be malfeasant with your data, it's that they'll get hacked by somebody who wants to be malfeasant with your data.

No thanks to any of it. The internet and tracking is bad enough. Yes, every web site you're visiting is being logged by the NSA. They never stopped. That's really where it gets wild and frightening. They had Clapper in the grips of a perjury charge and just let him walk.

No way am I letting Bezos know what I'm saying twenty-four seven. Forget that.

 

[Riffraff]

{toe curling} Oh Siri, oh Alexa, oh yeah, oh oh


Hey Siri turn off the lights
Alexa play baby-making music

 

[Instinctive]

So Amazon Echo will now send all audio to their cloud for processing. No opting out.

De minimis? Anyone ok with Amazon recording you 24/7 and sending it back to the mothership?

Amazon’s Echo is ending its 'Do Not Send Voice Recordings' feature, starting March 28 | TechCrunch

Amazon Echo users will no longer have the option to process their Alexa voice recordings locally, which means those recordings (with the exception of

techcrunch.com

What makes anyone think this is just now true lol. When my spouse worked at Apple they wanted to put an iHome in our house. I had to go through their legal counsel to explain I too was a lawyer and client confidentiality would prevent any device ever being in our home so they would waive the requirement for her an an employee.

 

[RCon]

For those concerned about Echo or similar devices... Aren't your phones basically doing the same thing?

 

[Sand]

For those concerned about Echo or similar devices... Aren't your phones basically doing the same thing?

If you could please expound on this. What part of your phone records you 24/7? I have disabled the AI search assistant in mine.

 

[RCon]

For those concerned about Echo or similar devices... Aren't your phones basically doing the same thing?

If you could please expound on this. What part of your phone records you 24/7? I have disabled the AI search assistant in mine.

I haven't researched this fully, but I'm under the impression that they can (and may by default) be configured to respond to voice commands like "Hey Siri - Send an e-mail" or "OK Google - Send a text to". If so, that would mean they are listening 24x7.

 

[Sand]

For those concerned about Echo or similar devices... Aren't your phones basically doing the same thing?

If you could please expound on this. What part of your phone records you 24/7? I have disabled the AI search assistant in mine.

I haven't researched this fully, but I'm under the impression that they can (and may by default) be configured to respond to voice commands like "Hey Siri - Send an e-mail" or "OK Google - Send a text to". If so, that would mean they are listening 24x7.

Ah - ok. Yeah, I've disabled that.

 

[Sand]

Interesting article - vacuums and washer/dryers that have text alerts, refrigerators with touch screen games, etc. Why (besides hoovering up our data)?

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/08/nx-s1-5346759/samsung-ai-vacuum-smart-appliances-explained

 

[Scoresman]

Yeah my fridge has a screen that shows you what’s inside your fridge.

I mean, what’s wrong with just opening the door?

 

[The Z Machine]

For those concerned about Echo or similar devices... Aren't your phones basically doing the same thing?

If you could please expound on this. What part of your phone records you 24/7? I have disabled the AI search assistant in mine.

I haven't researched this fully, but I'm under the impression that they can (and may by default) be configured to respond to voice commands like "Hey Siri - Send an e-mail" or "OK Google - Send a text to". If so, that would mean they are listening 24x7.

Ah - ok. Yeah, I've disabled that.

Yup, just tried it on my Samsung. Tried all sorts of voice commands, even when unlocked, the phone did nothing. I hope that means it's not listening to me.

 

[AAABatteries]

Yeah my fridge has a screen that shows you what’s inside your fridge.

I mean, what’s wrong with just opening the door?

Tangent but I’ve always thought it would be great to have a fridge that scans what you have and gives recipes based on ingredients.

 

[Instinctive]

Yeah my fridge has a screen that shows you what’s inside your fridge.

I mean, what’s wrong with just opening the door?

Tangent but I’ve always thought it would be great to have a fridge that scans what you have and gives recipes based on ingredients.

I used to get in trouble more for having the fridge door open than anything else. "You're letting the cold air out!"

 

[Sand]

Tangent but I’ve always thought it would be great to have a fridge that scans what you have and gives recipes based on ingredients.

Ooh - asparagus bacon pizza casserole!

 

[Max Power]

Interesting article - vacuums and washer/dryers that have text alerts, refrigerators with touch screen games, etc. Why (besides hoovering up our data)?

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/08/nx-s1-5346759/samsung-ai-vacuum-smart-appliances-explained

We updated our washer and dryer set last black friday and the new version has text alerts when each cycle ends. My wife loves it and claims it helps her get more laundry done in a day. Before the texts she would always get sidetracked and forget to switch it.

I think that is the only "Smart" appliance we connect to and use. Last house had a smart thermostat and that thing was awesome.

 

[Scoresman]

Yeah my fridge has a screen that shows you what’s inside your fridge.

I mean, what’s wrong with just opening the door?

Tangent but I’ve always thought it would be great to have a fridge that scans what you have and gives recipes based on ingredients.

I want to know what it would tell me to do with the carrots that are sitting at the bottom of my vegetable drawer for 6 months and are no longer orange.

 

[beer 30]

Yeah my fridge has a screen that shows you what’s inside your fridge.

I mean, what’s wrong with just opening the door?

Tangent but I’ve always thought it would be great to have a fridge that scans what you have and gives recipes based on ingredients.

I want to know what it would tell me to do with the carrots that are sitting at the bottom of my vegetable drawer for 6 months and are no longer orange.

You need to flip it to the politically incorrect advisor.

"Yo, fat ***, put the ice cream back and eat one of those nasty carrots you told yourself you were going to start eating the last time you got on a health kick."

 

[RCon]

Interesting article - vacuums and washer/dryers that have text alerts, refrigerators with touch screen games, etc. Why (besides hoovering up our data)?

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/08/nx-s1-5346759/samsung-ai-vacuum-smart-appliances-explained

We updated our washer and dryer set last black friday and the new version has text alerts when each cycle ends. My wife loves it and claims it helps her get more laundry done in a day. Before the texts she would always get sidetracked and forget to switch it.

I think that is the only "Smart" appliance we connect to and use. Last house had a smart thermostat and that thing was awesome.

I'll reiterate something I've mentioned before. For security reasons, connect these things to your guest WiFi network, not your primary network. These smart devices tend to have inexpensive, insecure, and infrequently updated firmware and software.

 

[fatness]

Here's a privacy breach I think. Your bodily organs are private unless you decide otherwise, right?

A lawsuit that accuses Alabama prisons of illegally harvesting the organs of people who died while incarcerated will be allowed to proceed, a state judge ruled on Tuesday. The consolidated lawsuits filed by eight families alleges that the Alabama Department of Corrections illegally allowed the University of Alabama at Birmingham to study the organs of their deceased incarcerated relatives without the consent of the next of kin. The families say that the public entities intentionally hid their misconduct.

 

[The Z Machine]

Here's a privacy breach I think. Your bodily organs are private unless you decide otherwise, right?

A lawsuit that accuses Alabama prisons of illegally harvesting the organs of people who died while incarcerated will be allowed to proceed, a state judge ruled on Tuesday. The consolidated lawsuits filed by eight families alleges that the Alabama Department of Corrections illegally allowed the University of Alabama at Birmingham to study the organs of their deceased incarcerated relatives without the consent of the next of kin. The families say that the public entities intentionally hid their misconduct.

Maybe the state thinks that they own them while you are incarcerated and since you didn't serve the full sentence, they get to dispose of your corpse however they see fit.

 

[Sand]

Here's a privacy breach I think. Your bodily organs are private unless you decide otherwise, right?

A lawsuit that accuses Alabama prisons of illegally harvesting the organs of people who died while incarcerated will be allowed to proceed, a state judge ruled on Tuesday. The consolidated lawsuits filed by eight families alleges that the Alabama Department of Corrections illegally allowed the University of Alabama at Birmingham to study the organs of their deceased incarcerated relatives without the consent of the next of kin. The families say that the public entities intentionally hid their misconduct.

This has been rolling around for a number of years. Whether legal or not, it's morally corrupt and shouldn't have been done.

 

[fatness]

Maybe the state thinks that they own them while you are incarcerated and since you didn't serve the full sentence, they get to dispose of your corpse however they see fit.

Someone might think that, but Alabama state law says otherwise.

Lawyers for the defense argued that the Alabama Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham had a contract authorizing the autopsies. Because the contract was between two state entities, the defense argued, it was protected by state immunity.

Lawyers for the families argued that the contract itself was illegal. They cited a state law that prohibits medical examiners from keeping organs without the consent of the next of kin.

“If this was occurring at a local hospital, if this was occurring at a local funeral home, the AG’s office would be investigating it, not using their lawyers to defend it,” Michael Strickland, an attorney for the families, said in February.

 

[The Z Machine]

So the state of Alabama is just claiming, "IMMUNITY!!!" and that's it?

 

[Kanil]

Interesting article - vacuums and washer/dryers that have text alerts, refrigerators with touch screen games, etc. Why (besides hoovering up our data)?

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/08/nx-s1-5346759/samsung-ai-vacuum-smart-appliances-explained

We updated our washer and dryer set last black friday and the new version has text alerts when each cycle ends. My wife loves it and claims it helps her get more laundry done in a day. Before the texts she would always get sidetracked and forget to switch it.

I think that is the only "Smart" appliance we connect to and use. Last house had a smart thermostat and that thing was awesome.

Washer/dryer, thermostat, the electric kettle and some of the house lights are what we have connected. Not sure I'd go back to having them disconnected. In fact, when the internet is down, I feel like I'm living in the stone age.

 

[Kanil]

Interesting article - vacuums and washer/dryers that have text alerts, refrigerators with touch screen games, etc. Why (besides hoovering up our data)?

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/08/nx-s1-5346759/samsung-ai-vacuum-smart-appliances-explained

We updated our washer and dryer set last black friday and the new version has text alerts when each cycle ends. My wife loves it and claims it helps her get more laundry done in a day. Before the texts she would always get sidetracked and forget to switch it.

I think that is the only "Smart" appliance we connect to and use. Last house had a smart thermostat and that thing was awesome.

I'll reiterate something I've mentioned before. For security reasons, connect these things to your guest WiFi network, not your primary network. These smart devices tend to have inexpensive, insecure, and infrequently updated firmware and software.

This is definitely a must. My guest network, "MomUseThisOne" (password references Matlock) is specifically for our smart devices and whenever our mom's come to visit with their old, out of date phones, and laptops with 1000 toolbars installed, lol.

 

[fatness]

So the state of Alabama is just claiming, "IMMUNITY!!!" and that's it?

Yes. No other supporting argument.
More and more, governments seems to be using courts to just tell judges what they believe the law to be, and hoping to get away with it.

It's crazy that they kept all the internal organs but did not send them back to the family with the (hollowed-out) body.

 

[Instinctive]

So the state of Alabama is just claiming, "IMMUNITY!!!" and that's it?

Yes. No other supporting argument.
More and more, governments seems to be using courts to just tell judges what they believe the law to be, and hoping to get away with it.

It's crazy that they kept all the internal organs but did not send them back to the family with the (hollowed-out) body.

it is crazy under how things are done now, but if it were up to me, that would be the default with all possible deaths. The opt-in default for organ donation, if you will.

 

[fatness]

The National Institutes of Health is amassing private medical records from a number of federal and commercial databases to give to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new effort to study autism, the NIH's top official said Monday. The new data will allow external researchers picked for Kennedy's autism studies to study "comprehensive" patient data with "broad coverage" of the U.S. population for the first time, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said.

Medication records from pharmacy chains, lab testing and genomics data from patients treated by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service, claims from private insurers and data from smartwatches and fitness trackers will all be linked together, he said. The NIH is also now in talks with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to broaden agreements governing access to their data, Bhattacharya said.

Scary stuff here.

RFK Jr.'s autism study to amass medical records of many Americans

The autism study is planning to link confidential data "with broad coverage in the U.S. population" in one place for the first time.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[BlackCrowes]

Anyone want to bet on the results of this “study”?

 

[Snoopy]

This reeks of eugenics. And I suspect he will use the widely disproven theory that vaccines cause autism.

 

[Sand]

Let's not get this killed. It's relevant, but let's not delve into political chatter. Thanks!