Who would have thought your robotic cleaner could be a creepy little spy. HERE IS THE STORY:

It may be "smart" to put robots to work in your home—but is it wise? Consumers who want the blueprint and contents of their homes kept private may be wary at news coming out of iRobot, which makes the Roomba robotic vacuum.

Per the New York Times, the company is mulling selling data that the Roomba picks up along with dirt during its daily cleanup sessions—everything from the layout of one's home and brands of furniture, to a resident's daily traffic patterns and income (based on those brands), to whether there's a baby in the house—to Amazon, Google, or Apple.

Digital rights experts note this data on consumers and their residences can be used by marketers to bombard said consumers with targeted ads. "Your friendly little Roomba could soon become a creepy little spy," tweeted Canadian nonprofit OpenMedia.

Reuters notes the Roomba is just part and parcel of the 21st-century "smart home," which is already being stocked with internet-linked security systems, lights, and temperature controllers.

In its statement to the Times, iRobot insists consumer privacy is paramount, noting customers can flick a switch and "opt out" of their map data being uploaded, or not connect their Roomba to the internet at all.

"No data will be shared with third parties without the informed consent of our customers," the statement reads. iRobot also says it doesn't have any imminent plans for data-hawking, but company CEO Colin Angle tells Reuters that a contract to sell Roomba's maps to either Apple, Amazon, or Google could happen within the next couple of years.

"In some sort of crude sense which no vulgarity, no humor, no overstatement can quite extinguish, the physicists have known sin; and this is a knowledge which they cannot lose." -Julius Robert Oppenheimer

Once the technology is out in the wild, it cannot be contained again. All of these technological 'freedoms' perpetuate only slavery. Just sayin'.

And somehow, I just knew the Canadians were involved:

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

Digital rights experts note this data on consumers and their residences can be used by marketers to bombard said consumers with targeted ads. "Your friendly little Roomba could soon become a creepy little spy," tweeted Canadian nonprofit OpenMedia.

H&K-Guy

I think only the Roomba 900series have the mapping feature. Also, it will make a new map every time it cleans. It does recognize, yes but it doesn't really "save" what it has mapped. It hasn't been elaborated well but I think this can explain few points.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JakiHere,

Damn it! Now they'll know I have a dining room with a walnut table in it. That, combined with their knowledge of the temperature I like my house, and that I use a 30 minute timer around dinner time several times a week. This is problematic.

In all seriousness, if privacy concerns are truly important to someone, I can respect that. But start with your own smartphone. Because that's the most prolific and powerful information gathering device ever created. Particularly the better apps like Google Maps, but even streaming services etc. There are pockets of info about us all over the networks, and correlation is happening now, and will only become more powerful.

Do you use Google Maps and YouTube? Do you watch gun videos ever, and do you go to gun stores and a gun range? That's child's play to harvest with modern analytics. And through automation, then to start targeting you for influence. Now you might worry they'll want to influence you to the left, but I don't believe it. I think it's MUCH more likely that they'll try to sell you a Glock or a Ruger. I think their apparent left leanings are just to be on the good side of the leftists that might want to regulate the hell out of them. Again... that's just my opinion.

The only freedom I personally see at risk is that of free will. We'll be controlled through influence just like we always have been through marketing. But it will be more effective. Perhaps to some degree, more effective in that it gives us what we want and doesn't create that want,.. but there's a fuzzy line there.

All in the search for greater profits.

Wait, they could get the blueprints to my apartment that are already readily available on my management company's website??

In all seriousness I can see how this would be a concern for many in their private homes or those who use Roombas at their place of business.

Thankfully, my little apartment won't really be affected...

How will they access these "maps" Roombas have wifi?

RMd

I'm simply left shaking my head at those of you who ceaselessly defend this crap. Incredible.

"Oh, but do you have a smartphone?" (Said in a deliberately snarky, exaggerated, imitating voice).

So. Freaking. What.

How can a vacuum tell what brand of furniture you have?

don't get a roomba - get a thing called a vacuum cleaner and one of those witch things - I think they call it a broom...

problem solved

Funny Roomba story. I purchased my mother in law a roomba and she loved it, it would sweep up the dog's hair and keep her dark wood floors decently clean. We came over one weekend and the house smelled like CRAP. I asked her what happened, well it seemed she forgot to let the dog out and it crapped on the floor. No big deal...but luck would have it, the roomba ran it everywhere!!!

I just got one about 2 weeks ago.

It does a good job picking up my Pugs hair on a daily basis.

It's amazing how much Pugs shed!

quote:

Originally posted by Ackks:
How can a vacuum tell what brand of furniture you have?

Guessing it can go under furniture and see/scan bar and QR codes? Maybe pictures of the furniture are cross-referenced in Google Pictures?

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:
Damn it! Now they'll know I have a dining room with a walnut table in it. That, combined with their knowledge of the temperature I like my house, and that I use a 30 minute timer around dinner time several times a week. This is problematic.

In all seriousness, if privacy concerns are truly important to someone, I can respect that. But start with your own smartphone. Because that's the most prolific and powerful information gathering device ever created. Particularly the better apps like Google Maps, but even streaming services etc. There are pockets of info about us all over the networks, and correlation is happening now, and will only become more powerful.

Do you use Google Maps and YouTube? Do you watch gun videos ever, and do you go to gun stores and a gun range? That's child's play to harvest with modern analytics. And through automation, then to start targeting you for influence. Now you might worry they'll want to influence you to the left, but I don't believe it. I think it's MUCH more likely that they'll try to sell you a Glock or a Ruger. I think their apparent left leanings are just to be on the good side of the leftists that might want to regulate the hell out of them. Again... that's just my opinion.

The only freedom I personally see at risk is that of free will. We'll be controlled through influence just like we always have been through marketing. But it will be more effective. Perhaps to some degree, more effective in that it gives us what we want and doesn't create that want,.. but there's a fuzzy line there.

This is my view. Unless you throw your smart phone away (which except for a few Luddites, everyone has), your Roomba's data is essentially meaningless as compared to what your cell phone already tells Apple, Google, or whoever.

So, unless you practically withdraw from the modern computerized world, you're giving up that kind of data everyday, and can't hardly avoid it.

And so what, for the most part? They use the data to try to sell me the kind of socks I like, not to send Al Qaeda assassins.

And most importantly to me, it is a private deal between you and Roomba. If you don't want Roomba to have that data, don't buy one. Easy.

What would Tony Soprano think if Carmela bought a Roomba with that feature? Just sayin. It depends on your perspective. Some of us are more paranoid than others. The thing that bothers me is that your explicit consent is generally not obtained. It is usually in the fine print, the stuff lawyers read and understand.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
I'm simply left shaking my head at those of you who ceaselessly defend this crap. Incredible.

"Oh, but do you have a smartphone?" (Said in a deliberately snarky, exaggerated, imitating voice).

So. Freaking. What.

Shake away. There's nothing to defend. I'm certain the privacy agreements that anyone who would actually bother to register and log their little robot vacuum-spy onto, would have to allow them to do whatever they're doing.

Nothing snarky at all in my post, or anyone else's that I've read here.

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
I'm simply left shaking my head at those of you who ceaselessly defend this crap. Incredible.

"Oh, but do you have a smartphone?" (Said in a deliberately snarky, exaggerated, imitating voice).

So. Freaking. What.

Shake away. There's nothing to defend. I'm certain the privacy agreements that anyone who would actually bother to register and log their little robot vacuum-spy onto, would have to allow them to do whatever they're doing.

Nothing snarky at all in my post, or anyone else's that I've read here.

They don't need you to register. If there is any open wifi near it could phone home; it is only via the companies honesty that they don't already use data. Google or Apple or AT&T or Verizon (or the FBI/NSA) can correlate data to your Personal GPS Tracking Device and know your secret hidden bunker floorplan. If you don't authorize your Roomba on your wifi, it could even talk to other IoT devices that you have linked up to your network. And once cellular becomes cheap enough everything will have a low power connection that you have no way to stop.

And did we do auto privacy on SIGForum, or did I get this from another place?

Auto privacy? Nope.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
I'm simply left shaking my head at those of you who ceaselessly defend this crap. Incredible.

"Oh, but do you have a smartphone?" (Said in a deliberately snarky, exaggerated, imitating voice).

So. Freaking. What.

Same. The herd don't care, we are the overwhelming minority. Most are happy to blab all day about all their personal shit on instagoogletwatfacegram.

Now that 50% of all Americans have all of their vital information released by a 143 million records breach at Equifax and another 15 million from Experian whats the big deal with floor plans to go with it.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/0...ta-breach/index.html

https://krebsonsecurity.com/20...5-million-consumers/

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:
Now that 50% of all Americans have all of their vital information released by a 143 million records breach at Equifax and another 15 million from Experian whats the big deal with floor plans to go with it.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/0...ta-breach/index.html

https://krebsonsecurity.com/20...5-million-consumers/

That's just one breach. In reality, 100% of Americans, or probably 100% of the first world citizens have much of their personal info already breached and in data stores on the dark web. For sale. Cheap.