Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2020
Amazon Sidewalk draws privacy backlash
Public backlash
Amazon customers were automatically opted in to Sidewalk, a feature planned for launch later in the year that would share a portion of users' internet bandwidth with nearby devices. Commentators and users raised concerns about privacy and the default opt-in approach.
Stated objective. Connect Alexa devices to nearby WiFi networks and help devices work better.
Source excerpt
Ian Thornton-Trump, the chief information security officer at Cyjax, told Forbes the launch was "deeply problematic from a privacy perspective."
Some were still skeptical of whether such a network would keep user data private.
Amazon customers are being automatically opted in to Sidewalk, a feature set to launch later this year that the company says will connect Alexa devices to nearby WiFi networks, even those owned by someone else.