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Ring doorbell 'gives Facebook and Google user data'
BBC News ^ | January 28, 2020

Posted on 01/28/2020 1:03:56 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Ring doorbells are providing customer data to companies such as Facebook and Google, an investigation suggests.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation found the Ring app was "packed" with third-party tracking, sending out customers' personally identifiable information.

Five companies were receiving a range of information, including names, IP addresses and mobile networks, it said.

Ring said it limited the amount of data it shared.

The company told Gizmodo: "Like many companies, Ring uses third-party service providers to evaluate the use of our mobile app, which helps us improve features, optimise the customer experience and evaluate the effectiveness of our marketing."

But the EFF said Ring was failing to protect users' privacy, noting only one of the trackers it had found was mentioned in the company's privacy policy.

"The danger in sending even small bits of information is that analytics and tracking companies are able to combine these bits together to form a unique picture of the user's device," the EFF said.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: privacy; ring
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1 posted on 01/28/2020 1:03:56 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Privacy is becoming a thing of the past.


2 posted on 01/28/2020 1:08:06 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (If gun ownership by private citizens scares DemocRats, the 2nd Amendment is doing its job.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Anyone who installs any of these “SMART” devices, is a fool...


3 posted on 01/28/2020 1:08:07 PM PST by HamiltonJay
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To: HamiltonJay

Our doorbell system consists of a couple of momentary spst switches, a transformer, a 3 note chime and some wire. Seems to work fine.


4 posted on 01/28/2020 1:32:37 PM PST by NewHampshireDuo
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

What a surprise. The so-called social media sites specialize in data mining and advertising of its users. Oh, and I forgot. They are propaganda sites for the Democrats also.


5 posted on 01/28/2020 1:41:58 PM PST by antidemoncrat
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Shocked! Shocked I tell you.


6 posted on 01/28/2020 1:46:30 PM PST by Ratman0823 ("Worry less about who you might offend and care more about who you might inspire" - Mike Baxter)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Nobody I know comes to my front door. I never got out it.

My friends come via the side door.

They’ll have a great record of door to door salesmen and missionaries.


7 posted on 01/28/2020 1:47:24 PM PST by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I just cannot see the need to fill one’s home with all these marginal “smart” devices.

I mean how useful is it to have to shout, “Hey Alexa, turn on the light”? I guess if your 95 years old and your Clapper is broken, sure. But why do people willingly put stuff that collects your conversations and personal data in their homes?


8 posted on 01/28/2020 1:58:57 PM PST by Obadiah (Kill the deep state or lose the Republic.)
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To: HamiltonJay

That’s your opinion. Not every smart home device will spy on you. Cameras are for outside the home, not inside.


9 posted on 01/28/2020 2:10:18 PM PST by miliantnutcase
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To: Obadiah

‘Cause “Madison Avenue” made “Keeping up with the Jones’s” a thing.
The more they manipulate us into accepting their terms of success and happiness the more they will be able to manipulate us for other reasons.

Somehow I escaped this trap, but I’m not a “Typical consumer”.
None of my cars have a current warranty due to age, I’m still using Win. 7 Pro on my PC, this MAC is a couple of years old, I support our local Boys & Girls Club by purchasing my clothes and utensils there.
Advertising is wasted on me, I almost never buy new products and actively boycott any company that supports “Gun control” of the fag/LGBTZXY mafia.

More people need to DO/Think for themselves to break this scheme.


10 posted on 01/28/2020 2:12:42 PM PST by Ex gun maker. (Unconstitutional "Law" is void from inception.....)
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To: All

I guess I should add Facebook to that equation too.
(Ring is another Amazon spy device, for those that don't know)

11 posted on 01/28/2020 2:14:19 PM PST by LegendHasIt
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To: HamiltonJay

Yesh, so foolish to have video of the little bastard who vandalizes your property or steals the package UPS left. These doorbell cams are becoming a threat alright — to criminals.


12 posted on 01/28/2020 2:20:51 PM PST by bigbob (Trust Trump. Trust the Plan.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

We installed the Ring doorbell. I have 1 of my barn cats that is fascinated by. 99% of my alerts are from her walking along the brick ledge up to camera and nuzzling it. Then she turns and walks away

As to the question of whether I need this at my home, we live on a county road and there’s no reason anyone should becoming around my house other than the mailman, UPS or FedEx. So I guess if they wander up to my place, I have a record to give to police should they decide to do something.


13 posted on 01/28/2020 2:22:49 PM PST by shotgun
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To: miliantnutcase

Sorry but you are a fool. That device connects to your network.. compromising your entire network.

Secondly you have no idea who and what software is on that device and who it’s sharing it with.

With that doorbell data stream I can use the video stream to use facial recognition to gather information and profile everyone who comes and goes through that door, And when. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, of what I could with that data stream.


14 posted on 01/28/2020 3:06:38 PM PST by HamiltonJay
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To: shotgun; All
If all you want is a record of who comes to your door, you don't have to let Amazon and/or Google record everything that goes on in front of the lens or within the hearing of the microphone.

For $240 (sometimes on sale for $179) You can get this two camera and motion recording monitor from Harbor Freight: Cobra Security Camera System

I have about eight different surveillance systems at my 'compound' and I actually like this harbor freight one the best. It has worked flawlessly for two years.

If you want to be able to monitor your property remotely from your cell phone, there are also hundreds of other options that don't require Amazon spying, (although pretty much everything you do with an Android cell phone is monitored by Google so there is no getting around that, even if the app itself doesn't specifically use the Google and/or Amazon web services system.)

15 posted on 01/28/2020 3:06:52 PM PST by LegendHasIt
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To: Ex gun maker.
Advertising is wasted on me,...

Yup.

16 posted on 01/28/2020 3:41:37 PM PST by Obadiah (Kill the deep state or lose the Republic.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

How funny that my door bell or metallic knocker, do NOT broadcast my private matters to others.

Such as your 8 year old daughter getting spam calls from strange creeps.


17 posted on 01/28/2020 4:15:24 PM PST by TheNext (Peaceful Victory)
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To: Jewbacca

That’s part of their sales pitch - you’ll be able to see who stole your packages, who’s at your front door, etc. without you having to go to the front door.

I think it wouldn’t be worth the trouble of having your credit/debit card possibly hacked.


18 posted on 01/28/2020 5:39:13 PM PST by scrabblehack
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To: HamiltonJay

First of all I’m an IT engineer, second of all you have no idea what I’m using for cameras on my house.
Third, maybe I’d want a facial profile for someone going through my front door because I never do ;-)
smart guy


19 posted on 01/29/2020 7:49:48 PM PST by miliantnutcase
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To: miliantnutcase

As am I. And I am not talking about what you can do, I’m talking about what anyone who has access to that datastream can do and you have no idea who has access to it.

You have a a smart device in your home, you are a fool. You have no idea who has access to that data and what other security risks it places in your network.


20 posted on 01/29/2020 7:54:56 PM PST by HamiltonJay
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