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Comment by alar44 | Hacker News Reader

Because app has a shitload more functions than a dial. I can program my strips to do all kinds of cool stuff.

I mean, what data is going to get extracted? Your favorite color? The app that came with mine is great and I can work the controls remotely.

Might be the wrong forum to be complaining that an app is too hard for you.

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> Might be the wrong forum to be complaining that an app is too hard for you.

You're misconstruing the objection here. No one thinks an app is too hard. The problem I don't want my email to end up in some database because I wanted to dim my lights. I imagine it would also be able to collect info on what bluetooth devices I have in my kitchen, etc.

Have you checked the trackers and data loggers build into that app that directly or indirectly call home when you interact with your lights?

I have an aquarium and I use a water quality tester when I suspect something is wrong. Before it was a colour stripe you have to compare with a reference printed on a package. Now it uses a camera and matches the color better for a better analysis. However, that app calls home directly to JBL, so they are building a profile on how I abuse my fish because every time it logs, it logs a bad situation. It also leaks the usage to jquery, google and crashlytics without notifying me or asking my consent.

> It also leaks the usage to jquery, …

This is the first time I’ve read someone refer to loading jquery as a data leak.

Ideally they shouldn’t be using jquery, or just shipping it with the app/self-hosting. But for the general case, are you saying your ideal would be an app prompting you for permission before it loaded any external resource from any url? Even one as ubiquitous as jquery?

How is the fact that your IP address requested a copy of jquery, one of the most downloaded JavaScript libraries of all time, any kind of meaningful signal?

I’d be more worried about it as an attack vector than a privacy infringement.

I would like an app that handles the functioning of my paid product locally without internet access. The product was sold with strings attached that was not mentioned.

Loading any framework script not hosted on the site the app originates is the same kind of leak as the facebook pixel. jquery gets my IP, access time and referrer. They can cross-site track me over all pages that load their scripts.

I also use frameworks scripts, only I host them locally to counter this kind of leakage.

You're a drop of water in the ocean. Protect the shit that matters and stop worrying about apps "stealing" your contacts or whatever.

That's the thing, people actually think their data matters. It doesn't. Your a point in a multi billion point multimillion dimensional cloud. Your data doesn't matter. Yeah, data farms can glean data trends from populations, but there's infinite ways to do this and most aren't actually concerned about who "you" are, but what "people" are doing. In short, you're not that important, you're not being individually spied on, get over yourself. You're uninteresting as fuck.

It's a matter of perspective. My particular data doesn't matter to a company in the grand scheme of things; they will be fine without it. But it matters to me. I have to deal with the spam. I have to answer the robocalls. I have to worry about my personal details being leaked. I have to deal with identity theft targeting me. There's only one person who's concerned about me - me.

I want to avoid the hassle because it affects me and my life. I might not be important to others, but I'm important to myself. Don't tell me to get over myself.

> I mean, what data is going to get extracted? Your favorite color?

For instance, a log of every time I turn my lights on and off? Coupled with of course all kinds of fingerprinting info about my phone which is also tied to all my accounts. Others mentioned it could also scan the local network. Creepy.

So sick of apps being required for basic things. My ISP is trying to require one to admin my router...

Sometimes all you want or need is a dial. I don't need my dimmable lights to have a rave function, or work as a visualizer for the music I'm listening to.

A dial on the wall also doesn't potentially open an IoT shaped hole in my network security.

So buy one with those features, otherwise, you're just an old man yelling at clouds.

> I mean, what data is going to get extracted? Your favorite color?

Well probably that as well as information about every device on the same wifi network and a list of nearby bluetooth devices.

Your browser can do this too. So what?

Sure the browser can do that as well but your question was what data can be extracted and its more than just your favorite color.

And then of course you can't turn them off when AWS is down

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