The backend security bug effectively exposed an army of internet-connected robots that, in the wrong hands, could have turned into surveillance tools, all without their owners ever knowing.
Suprise, if it has cameras, microphones, gps, data mapping capabilities and speaks to a server outside of your home it is by definition is a surveillance tool.
All of this has always been predicated on the idea that the surveillance will never be used against you somehow. I don’t know why anyone ever bought into that.
Which is why we need to de-normalize this thought process. People should always ask, why does my vacuum need to go online? Or at the very least, can I turn that “feature” off?
because vacuum makers lock away advanced capabilities on the app making a home network the only way you can access them.
of course, when you’re shopping, it’ll use those advanced features as advertisements; but there’s no way to know that ahead of time unless you’re buying the most expensive models available.
Also this project for Neatos. https://github.com/Philip2809/neato-connected
