Overheard a guy at the hardware store rant about how his smart thermostat company sold his heating schedule data

It made me think about how we sign away control of our daily habits for a bit of convenience, and now I'm checking the data-sharing settings on everything from my fridge to my car.

3 comments

3 Comments

drew_mitchell4d ago

My cousin had a smart TV that started showing ads for cat food after his dog passed. He never searched for a pet, but the microphone must have picked up conversations around the house. It's a creepy feeling when the stuff in your home starts learning a little too much. You start wondering what else is listening or watching and selling the story of your life. It makes that old dumb thermostat look pretty good.

charles6404d ago

Seriously, the real scam is they sell you the device, then sell your data, and you pay them more for the electricity to run their spy gear. It's a triple dip into your wallet for the privilege of being watched. We're getting robbed coming and going.

jakewhite4d ago

Look at the upside though, the data they collect makes things work better for you. That smart thermostat learns your schedule to save on bills, and those targeted ads mean you see stuff you might actually want instead of random junk. About @drew_mitchell's cousin, maybe the ads were a coincidence, or maybe seeing pet food ads after a loss is just bad timing from an algorithm, not a spy. We trade some info for real convenience, and most companies have privacy settings if you look for them. It's not a robbery if you get useful services in return.