Mastodawn

Doubting Thomas Jul 19, 2025

I spent a whole day in a room full of privacy engineers talking about how they were trying to move their companies towards better practices and then I glanced at my phone, read this, and just let the wave of rage and despair wash over me: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/07/amazon-ring-cashes-techno-authoritarianism-and-mass-surveillance

Amazon Ring Cashes in on Techno-Authoritarianism and Mass Surveillance

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff is back at the helm of the surveillance doorbell company, and with him is the surveillance-first-privacy-last approach that made Ring one of the most maligned tech devices. Not only is the company reintroducing new versions of old features which would allow police to...

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Seán Fenian Jul 19, 2025

@evacide That just keeps getting worse as you read further through it.

Chantaru Jul 19, 2025

@evacide I was considering a Ring. I am happy I never got one.

👊🇺🇸🔥Jul 19, 2025

@evacide My last apartment complex gave everyone a free Ring doorbell, and it was the most useless thing I've ever owned after turning on end-to-end encryption. All the functionality was completely nerfed.

TheMagicalC Jul 19, 2025

@evacide well shit, I was *just* thinking I needed to write something about how everyone who opposes ICE needs to get rid of their ring doorbells preemptively. I guess Ring beat me to it.

black_sparkling_heart

Yet another reason to never leave my house again:

" the surveillance-first-privacy-last approach that made Ring one of the most maligned tech devices. Not only is the company reintroducing new versions of old features which would allow police to request footage directly from Ring users, it is also introducing a new feature that would allow police to request live-stream access to people’s home security devices. "

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/07/amazon-ring-cashes-techno-authoritarianism-and-mass-surveillance

Amazon Ring Cashes in on Techno-Authoritarianism and Mass Surveillance

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff is back at the helm of the surveillance doorbell company, and with him is the surveillance-first-privacy-last approach that made Ring one of the most maligned tech devices. Not only is the company reintroducing new versions of old features which would allow police to...

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Ertain Jul 19, 2025

@evacide We all knew this was happening. We need to discourage the use of these Ring doorbells.

@evacide
When I read (well, listened to) 1984 the absolute biggest thing that stood out to me was Mr Charrington saying to Winston that he "never had a use for such luxuries" in reference to the Telescreen. It really set a tone that I'm finding many didn't pick up on. The Telescreen in 1984 was a device that was sold to the public as a benefit to them that was later turned against them. No one was forced to buy one and yet everyone had one.

There is no better example for where we are now.

@evacide
It's also worth mentioning that Mr Charrington's position in the party is even more on point today when you consider how closely techbros are working with.... Well.... The (Republican) party

Sassinake! ᑐ ∪ ∩ ⊂Jul 19, 2025

you don't even have to buy it. your neighbours did.

LisPi Jul 19, 2025

@evacide @alice Their proprietary malware had reduced its malignancy for a short while? I didn't even know.

Lambda Jul 19, 2025

@evacide I wonder how mist people would've react just 20-10 years ago if you asked them, "would you willingly pay up to install surveillance equipment at your house for a techno-authoritarian state?"

Maddad ☑️Jul 19, 2025

Wow, this is just another step towards a total #Nazi regime.
We are almost there.

drgn_comfy_happy

@evacide Great. Now I feel less comfortable about walking around my house.

ConsiderMiranda Jul 20, 2025

@evacide
‘…employees at Ring will have to show proof that they use AI to get promoted’.

How very ‘The Circle’ of you

Eric Lawton Jul 20, 2025

My door guardian and announcer will never betray privacy.

Dan k5s Jul 20, 2025

@evacide lately I'm often having to remind myself that the eternal struggle between good and evil is... eternal. We make gains here and there but it's never "done". The setbacks are frustrating but it's still worth fighting for the right thing.