I invested in Mycroft to try and kickstart a privacy-focused alternative; the hardware isn't there yet but they've made good strides on the software side. You can invest too! https://www.startengine.com/mycroftai
Make the world we want to live in.
What happens when you kid's friends use and they visit? What happens when everything is "Alexa enabled" and comes on by default?
Voting with your wallet doesn't work against sufficiently large vendor who's willing to lose money to achieve their goals.
If enough people become aware of the option and follow suit, change might occur that you'd like. That isn't what motivates you.
Unclear what you are trying to say but honestly it's a pain I have to do this everywhere. That's why we have regulation & legislation: so corporations don't have to get "market signals" they're free to ignore, vs laws they must actually follow or get fined/held liable.
It's like removing a jerk from your life who happens to make amazing tacos. I'm going to miss those tacos but life is too short. The 2nd best taco truck is a block away in this scenario.
> but honestly it's a pain I have to do this everywhere.
Right???
You can’t make things better when half the people around you are making it worse.
A reminder that even in EU Alexa seems to be ok ( from State POV) even if it violates GDPR.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyhook_Wireless
EDIT: used by iPhone OS until version 3.2: https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-DGB-16945
I'm quite the privacy nut, but I always think its ridiculous that people cry foul about what people do with data that is being broadcast over the airwaves. If you really care about privacy and don't trust WPA2 then don't fucking use WiFi!
Intent matters a great deal. Very few people intend for their wifi to reach their neighbors or the street. There is already an expectation of privacy for visible and IR wavelengths of the EM spectrum.
Visible and IR wavelengths don't reach outside through non-windows, because of physics - but I don't think there is any inherent expectation of privacy - quite the opposite. If you leave your front bay window open and people outside can see in, and you call the police for privacy invasion they will laugh in your face in most places - in fact if you are doing something deemed obscene or distasteful you may be the one arrested - and for good reason. They'll tell you to get something to block the light like a curtain.
Whether or not people intend it - wifi signals easily will make it to the street - and they're on shared spectrum. Especially if you're going to pollute the public ISM band - it's sort of on you to take whatever precautions you need to stay safe whether that is better encryption, a faraday cage or just abstaining and finding alternative means.
If you start blasting loud noises 24/7 constantly in your neighborhood and someone complains, is your response going to be well, "I don't intend for this garbage to reach my neighbors"?
AIUI police aren't permitted to use anything that lets them see through walls without a warrant, and the same should apply to corporations and individuals.
it's sort of on you to take whatever precautions you need to stay safe
In other words, "I'm going to take what I can because you didn't know you didn't lock your door," is that it?
No reasonable non-tech person would look at a wifi router in their closet and think, "I expect waves radiating from this device to pass through the walls of my house and be used by large corporations for tracking purposes." They think, "I plug this in and I can use the Internet on my phone inside my house."