It’s so “smart” TV’s etc can send data home even if you don’t connect them to the internet. Longer term expect random devices you own to inject even more advertising into your daily life.
Amazon is going to sell access to Sidewalk to e.g. TV manufacturers (and anybody else), making money off of your internet connection.
Before Sidewalk, if a device manufacturer wanted to be able to get sensor/environmental/etc data back to the mothership, it had to either pair to a phone with bluetooth, use wifi (needs creds), or include a 2g modem with a SIM (pretty expensive). A customer who doesn't see a need for that device to have that connection just won't pair / give wifi creds, and the 2g modems/SIMs are expensive enough to keep them out of most devices.
In a world where Sidewalk is a viable option, a lot more devices will be sending whatever information they like that they can sample about you out of your house. Sure, it makes sense to carefully read the privacy policy when you're buying a echo dot or ring whatever, but are you going to be so careful when you're buying a toaster?
My only options for escaping Sidewalk are living far enough away from neighbors or convincing all the neighbors within range of my house that they shouldn't have any Sidewalk bridge-able devices.
I would at least be interested in a way of finding out what sidewalk bridges are accessible from my location. Anybody know of a way? Is it just wifi?
There's at least 2 other options:
Disable (physically) modems/antennas of sidewalk-enabled devices you own, or do not purchase devices that are sidewalk-enabled.
Sidewalk uses LoRa and a 900Mhz other signal (for garage door openers). With an SDR that can use that spectrum, you could probably determine if there are sidewalk endpoints around. Might be able to foxhunt them to certain houses.
My plan is to do my best to avoid these devices (FCC IDs may be helpful here), and if I can't, then physically disable them from being able to communicate. Hopefully other folks do the same, and there will be information/a community online to help.
The rest of the world is up a creek, only the 'techno-elite' have the privilege of privacy and being tracking-free. It probably doesn't amount to much, though...
I had thought that there wouldn't be any labeling requirements for Sidewalk-enabled devices, but you bring up FCC IDs. I've never given them much thought, but that's at least one thing to look out for in the future.
I'm now kind of interested to go look at the boxes for some of the devices I already own to get a feel for what's there. I expect it would probably all come down to a few BT / BLE / wifi chip manufacturers.
You've got an Alexa, your neighbor has a Ring. The network goes out on your neighbor's house. The Ring can then use your Alexa provided sidewalk network to send a notification to your neighbor about a package or whatever.
Someone makes Tile like product that can use Sidewalk to track its location. The sidewalk extends its range and accuracy.
Right now, it really appears to be just Ring devices that can make use of it.
This isn't a guest Wifi that arbitrary people can connect to... though as we saw with the Apple tags, people have quickly piggybacked other data on it.
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While I don't have any devices that extend the Sidewalk network, I've disabled it... just in case I do get one.
How do you know you really disabled it? What if it does the same as Google that was recording location data and then uploaded them right after you established a WiFi connection? What if Amazon devices would do that a few times a day without you noticing, and the "disable Sidewalk" button would just mean "do it less frequently"?
I don't. But all of those questions tart out with "what if" and presuppose deception on Amazon's part.
Amazon's business model isn't "sell your info" - its "sell you stuff."
The intentional deception would get them in much deeper trouble to the point that your "what ifs" would be something a company lawyer would stop rather quickly.
