(Photo by Pixabay)
Amazon has a way of sneaking into our lives and making things incredibly easy. Conveniently, there are often trade-offs.
Many people do not know that they have a public profile on Amazon.
Your public profile is created automatically, whether you like it or not, and contains your comments and any ratings you’ve left on products purchased from Amazon.
Your biographical information and other site interactions are also 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 public Amazon profile and remove other personal details left on the site.
It seems that no matter where you go, something is following you. Your phone’s GPS keeps you up to date, security cameras have recordings, and even ringing cameras can turn neighborhoods into surveillance networks.
Amazon Ring cameras are being watched, and hundreds of police departments can be filmed. Tap or click here to check your sound and who can access your feed.
Recently, Amazon emailed the owners of Ring and Echo to let them know that they were automatically enrolled in its new Sidewalk initiative. Sounds promising, “Sidewalk.” Before you accept the automatic entry, know the facts. It may be enough for you to give up.
What is a Sidewalk?
About a year ago, Amazon quietly announced a new product called Sidewalk, which is basically a mesh network that expands your range of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections by up to a mile.
The sidewalk turns Echo speakers and Ring devices into bridge devices. It provides internet-connected technology away from the router, such as roadside lights, a real boost.
How exactly does this work? The sidewalk uses a “small part” of the internet’s bandwidth to transmit low-power Bluetooth connections and 900 MHz radio signals to all these connected devices.
The list of devices includes Floodlight Cam Ring, Spotlight Cam Wired and Spotlight Cam Mount from 2019 or later, along with most Echo models (including Dot, Plus, Show, Dot for Kids and Studio) made after 2016.
Amazon takes your internet to share with others
Think of this as a smart sidewalk neighborhood, borrowing bandwidth from you and your neighbors. The more households join this network, the bigger it gets.
We want better Wi-Fi and it’s annoying when our connected devices don’t work. You do not want the exterior lights, motion sensors, or security cameras to be offline.
But at what cost? The first question is how much sidewalk bandwidth it uses. Amazon says total monthly data is limited to 500 MB per account or the equivalent of 10 minutes of streaming HD video.
It’s not really much. If 10 minutes a month I can increase my connected devices, it sounds great. But wait, I’m still here.
Is the sidewalk safe?
If you’re worried about the potential implications for privacy, fine. Amazon promises that the Sidewalk network uses three layers of encryption and that your neighbors will not be able to see your data.
You might say that, but many individual smart gadgets aren’t great when it comes to cybersecurity. All it takes is a compromised device for a hacker to enter your network. Eventually, your technology will be connected to a network you can’t control.
Bottom line: it can be very secure, but the Internet of Things is famous for insecure devices without updates. There is no standard. I wouldn’t trust her.
My advice: give up and here’s how
Not all compatible devices will still have access to the Sidewalk. Check that the Sidewalk is already activated using the Alexa app on your phone.
First, go to the iOS App Store or Google Play to make sure you have the latest version of Alexa installed. Once you’ve downloaded the app, sign in to your Amazon account and follow these steps:
1. Inside 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 privacy checks
Echo speakers use a lot of personal data even if the Sidewalk is turned off. To take a deep dive into Echo’s privacy settings, use our guide to show you the most important options you need to address.
Tap or click here to set up Alexa with the best privacy settings you need.
What questions about your digital lifestyle do you have? Call Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to find her on your local radio station. You can listen to or watch The Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, TV or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.