Beep. Buzz. Ring tone. The various phones and tablets in our house can get fairly annoying, even when they’re notifying rather than spying. I thought my wife and I were responsible parents who didn’t clutter our kids’ lives with these things; where have they all come from? My wife keeps her phone on ‘vibrate’ for her work messages, but I often ask her to “turn the darn thing off” because the persistent buzzing can be bothersome.
If that’s enough to annoy me, then I’m in trouble, because this post is just getting started. This week, the European Union’s General Data Privacy Regulation (GPDR) law went into effect, restricting the data collection and sharing that social media services can obtain from users. ‘Opt in’ consent is required for more than the data collection that’s necessary to use the service (in other words, users must provide consent for all additional collection that will be used for advertising purposes). It may be overly restrictive, but at this point, anything that curbs those companies’ greed is worth considering.
As if on cue, two other related stories appeared in my newsfeed, both from National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States. One was about people in hospital emergency rooms receiving location-based ads from personal injury (“ambulance chaser”) law firms. And the second was about someone’s Amazon Echo device recording their conversation at home and sending it to another person.
Let’s consider each of these independently. And then I’ll tell you my solution to both.
Digital Ambulance Chasers Law Firms Send Ads to Patients’ Phones Inside Emergency Rooms
If you’re an American, your medical privacy is about to get hacked. Attorneys are coming for you. While the United States has extensive laws protecting the privacy of medical data, ads are about to follow Americans in through the hospital door. Location-based ads have been around for several years, often used by retail businesses. Perhaps you’ve been a short distance from a supermarket and suddenly seen a coupon on your phone for something to buy there.
That’s not new. To be honest, I don’t usually see it myself, since I keep my phone’s location feature OFF most of the time. I also play havoc with online ads, opting out of some, complaining about others, and changing my address on certain apps (so they think I live in Fairbanks, Alaska, which is off by a few thousand miles). Flannel pants and smoked salmon: the ads that follow me are not well targeted.
What’s new is allowing these location-based services into hospitals and doctor’s offices in the U.S. Patients in hospital emergency rooms are beginning to receive ads from personal injury lawyers who are looking to make money by filing lawsuits and getting injury settlements. With that, peoples’ medical privacy has been violated, but it’s been done in such a way that no confidentiality laws are broken.
Put me down as “not terribly interested”. Better yet, as I tell the telemarketers, take me off your list. Add me to your “do not call” list. And by the way, this call may be recorded for quality assurance. If you call this number again, I will report you to the authorities and send you a bill for violating the law.
Those are some of the things I tell telemarketers who call trying to sell something. You also can sign up online for a bot service and transfer the phone call to the bot, letting it waste the telemarketer’s time by asking dumb questions and providing responses that are designed to slowly frustrate the caller.
How is it any different with ads on my phone that waste my time? My answer is the same: I don’t want any.
The good news is, I’ve found a solution. It’s called: turn the darn thing off. Turn off your phone. Or if you need to use the phone, simply disable the location function. Click. That was easy, wasn’t it? I rarely need the location tracker, and when I do, one click reactivates it. 99% of the time, that thing is off. Big brother doesn’t know where I am and that’s fine with me.
Amazon Echo Recorded and Sent Couple’s Conversation, All Without Their Knowledge
In this news story, a couple was at home having a conversation. Their Amazon Echo (smart speaker with Alexa) was on. It recorded their conversation and then sent it to one of their contacts. Hey Amazon, Google, Apple, and others: this is NOT supposed to happen.
The couple was having a conversation about wood flooring (fortunately, it wasn’t about anything more dangerous than that). And Amazon claims that what happened next was a complete fluke. Here’s its explanation:
"Echo woke up due to a word in background conversation sounding like 'Alexa.' Then, the subsequent conversation was heard as a 'send message' request. At which point, Alexa said out loud 'To whom?' At which point, the background conversation was interpreted as a name in the customers contact list. Alexa then asked out loud, '[contact name], right?' Alexa then interpreted background conversation as 'right'. As unlikely as this string of events is, we are evaluating options to make this case even less likely."
Echo, fetch “Laurel” for me. Or is it “Yanny”? (I was so done with that news story after about 30 seconds. If you don’t know the reference, try Googling "laurel and yanny", but Google will remember you did.)
Let me make this even less likely. First of all, I don’t want one of those things in my house. We don’t need a smart home. I don’t want my refrigerator talking to me. I don’t want someone to hack into my heating system. I don’t need all of it networked so that I can watch my back porch from some app on my phone while I’m at work. And I don’t need my coffee brewed 10 minutes before I wake up. I’ll make it myself, thank you.
Someday, I probably will break down and buy a smart speaker system, but that will happen only when the rest of the family really wants it. I’ll resist it as long as I can. How lazy do I have to be to ask Google/Apple/Amazon what the weather is outside or to tell me the altitude of Mt. Everest? I can type those in myself.
I have a brain and several fingers. If I’m ever too busy to use either of them, then go ahead and push me off a cliff. I wouldn’t want to live in a world where I can’t spare one minute to type it in myself.
Furthermore, let me suggest a simple remedy for the Echo problem experienced by this wood floor couple: Turn the darn thing off. If you don’t need it, why is it on all the time? That’s a waste of energy, even when it isn’t spying on you. Turn it on when you need it.
And that’s exactly what the couple in this news story did: they went around the house and unplugged all of their smart devices. Good for them. When our doorbell broke last year, I went out a bought a smart one that had all of these features. A few days later, after our family had enjoyed all of the ring tones and features, we decided it didn’t make our lives any better. I returned it to the store, came home with a low-tech doorbell that cost $9, and installed it myself. Long live dumb technology!
The next headline I saw was about Stonehenge-inspired ice cream flavors
And I decided it’s time to end this curmudgeon’s rant. I’m afraid I’m becoming the old geezer who is going to sit on his front porch and shake a stick at the neighborhood kids for all of their pernicious activities. Those motorized scooters are at the top of my list, but I have some help with that one: my dog hates them and chases anyone who rides one. With a fierce growl, he and I will take this world back to the Stone Age. Do they have ice cream?
Sources:
Stonehenge Ice Cream: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/05/26/613770102/spoonfuls-of-stonehenge-modern-ice-cream-flavors-inspired-by-history
Amazon Echo Conversation: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/25/614470096/amazon-echo-recorded-and-sent-couples-conversation-all-without-their-knowledge?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news
Digital Ambulance Chasers: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/25/613127311/digital-ambulance-chasers-law-firms-send-ads-to-patients-phones-inside-ers
Lawyer ad lists: https://courtsandsports.com/2013/03/23/top-25-bad-lawyer-billboards-participants-25-to-11/
And more: https://injurylawyerwin.com/11-terrible-personal-injury-billboards/
Image credits: Top and ice cream photos are public domain. NPR stories are screenshots from npr.org. Attorney billboards & ads are all over the Internet and have been shared like memes, so I don't really know where they started, but injurylawyerwin.com, copyranter.blogspot.com, newsmov.biz, and courtsandsports.com are my main sources there (even though they may be secondary sources for the original content, which does not appear to be copyrighted).
I am not scared at all from all those new life habits. Because it is totally up to me, will i open the window, or will i check today's weather on my latest smartphone. What i am afraid, that one day i may get scared. And when it happens, this will mean I became that "old geezer with a stick" . And this is what really would be a disaster.
I am not afraid to be sollelly responsible for safety of my (BTC) private keys. Responsoble for the privacy of my own life. For everything. There are so many ways to control it. And to stay in charge. Some are just a few google clicks away.
I am 64.
When I knew how much information these social networks are taking from us,, was when I saw a thread on Twitter that mentioned how social network use our information for targeted Ads and also also give thse datase data to Government. It's quite sad that one cannot completely enjoy technology without having one or two challenges.
It seems being basic is more safe these days.
If you’re an American, your medical privacy is about to get hacked. Attorneys are coming for you. While the United States has extensive laws protecting the privacy of medical data, ads are about to follow Americans in through the hospital door.
What the hell, government spying on medical privacy of citizens, it's really annoying. There is something callef privacy.
I agree with your sayings, I also keep my location off all the time and I also skip ads.
It recorded their conversation and then sent it to one of their contacts.
I cannot believe such a multinational company is doing such things. We should create an awareness drive so that people will understand how to use gadgets and which ones are to be used and which ones are not to be used.
This post was quite informative.
That's the right attitude.
Thanks @donkeypong
Yeah, The gadgets must ensure the confidentiality of personal data of users. They must use information to create Services that take into account the needs and interests of users. And it only can be achieved if the manufacturers develop products in accordance with strict standards for confidentiality, ensure transparency of their performance , giving users a choice in protecting their information. Most importantly
the service provides must manage the information received responsibly. Till then there will be somewhat scaring atmosphere for the users.
Yes you made so muvh sense. . Have a look around you, all you can see is modern technology taking over people. It is simplifying the job (I agree) but we as “Homosapians” are made to work, NOT SIT AND REST.
We'll all evolve into fat slobs if we let technology do all the work. :)
We'll all evolve into fat slobs if we let technology do all the work. :)
You like it or not, technology is going to be involved in all your works. The only question remains "What would you do to secure your privacy?"
It's interesting that I had this conversation yesterday with someone much younger than me. He literally has no idea what privacy is because they have never experienced it.
That is truly frightening. :)
Hi, thank you for contributing to Steemit! Well in South Africa we certainly need the cctv cameras in the streets etc. Only been introduced in Johannesburg a few years ago...
I upvoted and followed you; follow back and we can help each other succeed :)
Well said @donkeypong. Lol @
What wont we see with tech.
The thing is every thing has two aspects, a positive and a negative. Now it depends on you how you are going to use it. If you start misusing the technology then you are bound to suffer the backlash. But please don't forget the various benefits you have got from the development in the technology.
So we need to learn the proper utilisation of the technology we have without over utilising it. But yes I am afraid that the way we are getting addicted to the comforts science has given us is definitely making us lazy and things are probably going to get worse in the future.
Awesome post indeed
Oh yes, there are tremendous benefits. It's meant to be a slightly humorous post, but the fact is that people do let technology take advantage of them.
Aside from telephones and online networking taking without end vital snapshot of our lives we are intended to go through with genuine individuals, they additionally keep an eye on us. The isssue with Facebook and Cambridge analytica is a remark have at the top of the priority list where information of a huge number of individuals were endangered in view of cash... how far would this be able to individuals truly go @donkeypong
That's a good summary. I agree. Facebook and others have become so greedy for information they can sell. They've sold out their users.
please sir see this post.
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@merina/introducing-courtesy-of-a-s-foundation-help-in-sunrise-orphanage-school
Spies all over the place - you reminded me about one thing of last week we had to deal with in a kind of crisis situation, was not that funny part to get hit by media and the entire public about certain things....
When I saw the title, I was thinking of the GPDR... Have really been recieving a crazy amount of mails from all those websites that I didn't even know I've ever subscribed? The other day I was telling friends ever since my trip in Kyrgyzstan, I dream to have a yurt as my summer house, then lately I've receive some ads selling me 2nd hand yurts and tents....
They are really good at spying. I thought such things happen even more in China, all my friends back home seem to have experience having taobao selling them things they talk about...
Still, we couldn't really turn off the phone, we still need to.... steem it, right? lol.
That's amazing. Thanks for the comment.
I must clarify that I like the billboards of lawyers, there is a lot of material for memes.
Well I told you about the problem with the search and with the gps I was having a lot of time, I was seeing ads from Amazon "look at these knives" or "Look at these lighters" todl that after I let my friend see on my phone videos of cutting things with knives at 1000 °, I detest a lot that happens.
You're right and if you're not using the gps or the smart device turn that damn thing off at once, value your privacy, buy a sticker for the web camera of your laptop and stop being so vulnerable.
"Stop being so vulnerable" : I love that line. That's how I see it also.
Apart from phones and social media taking away important moment of our lives we are meant to spend with real people, they also spy on us. The isssue with Facebook and Cambridge analytica is something to always have in mind where data of tens of millions of people were compromised just because of money... how far can this people really go @donkeypong
They don't spy on you. Privacy doesn't exist the moment everyone connects themselves to the Internet.
They only spy if you let them.
Well you are right that you can protect yourself and disable stuff haha. Well I'm happy that the Blockchain came at least it's more transparent that everyone see stuff. Instead of just a shady company seeing stuff... Instagram shadow delete stuff... Facebook too... Twitter...
I upvoted you from my cell phone and now I will turn off my cell phone.
It's been really interesting over the past let's say 3 years of watching my phone grow up right before my eyes. It's so much smarter than when I first got it and I must say a bit of rude little bugger. Im so shocked when I realize how it monitors and delivers me adds when I haven't searched online for anything. I have android and google is a master at telling my phone to tattle tale on me. I believe it stores my location data and waits until it is turned on again to report it. Its pretty scary stuff.
That's true. Google remembers everything, even when we are not using advanced features. But I play tricks on Google also, so the ads I get are not well targeted.
What kind of tricks? Can you infrom me too?
There you have it, the consequence of technology. There is no privacy anymore because we are in the smart world. It os considered being in the 'know' when you can proudly display the latest gadgeys as yours. I wonder what the world would be like in about a hundred years...surely our lives would be exposed for all to see. Did i say hundred...scratch that, let's say in fifty years. This madness has to be stopped but who would support the fight?
It's simple to stop if you turn it off. :) But I agree; we humans need to stand up and demand not to be bought/sold quite so easily.
Yeah, lots of "scary" stuff there.
I just realized, once again, that my phone is OFF because I forgot to charge it again. It has probably been off for a couple of days. It's sitting on the counter in my bathroom, charging... recording my farts. But then again, I'm an old curmudgeon.
You know how to live without it. Good for you!
Yes sir, turn the darn thing off. We do here in our household. We have a landline so the cellphones are always off except when we're out on the road and somebody needs to call us. We don't feel the urge to go back in the house when we forget it in our metal box.
I don't trust Alexa. I wrote about Amazon Rekognition being sold to police forces in Florida and Oregon. It's just going to get worse. I don't have that thing snooping on me. Like you, I have enough brains and fingers to DuckDuckGo it.
Location tracking is off on my phone, I have addons for my browser (Opera has built in VPN, Firefox I use Blur or uBlockOrigin for tracker blocking).
Oh and we tried the do not call list and we still get telemarketers. So, we don't answer any phone call that we don't know and expect. The answering machine is gone too :)
good to know thanks for the info
Master, I can feel how the butthurt flow through me. So much power!!
I can't wait anymore, I should start new drama!
the microphone on the phone should be manually disable-able, or there should be an obvious indicator whenever its on
It's very scary that if you send SMS through messenger, FB gets all your SMS messages...
Lol, I get it- you're better safe than sorry.
I couldn't agree less, abstainance has to always be the best right?
But with at the rate at which the world is going in the coming years all these things would be a necessity, the only solution will be creation of new laws and implementations of these laws
Technology as it is today has many side effects as I’d love to refer to it .
Talking about the medical damage, the gadgets talking about the likes of phone, tabs, computers etc does emit Electromagnetic radiations which is injurious to our health.
I do keep my location service off all time despite the fact that I haven’t experienced the location base adds.
Thanks for enlightening
You said right. Your speech is really valueable thanks for sharing among us.
I agree that they privatize personal data even though many people do not care if someone else knows their whole life.
Privacy for me is something sacred that only my wife, my family and I should know. And you're right, the hum of the constant phone is unpleasant .. LOL
I assume that everything I do on the internet is logged somewhere and act accordingly.
This is really and awesome experience, I'm actually laughing toward reading the experience of the couple plus own, how you manage to get things done in the sense and manner that is acceptable to you, I believe your choice matters, whatever we want should always prevail not want someone prescribe for us. I like your courage and how you deal with things personally, I really don't like echoing too, to me it seems as if someone is beating my head with 🔨, though the echo just like alarm has it own benefit as you reminded us almost all we have to do, well, I according to you, I can sum it up that whoever Desire to have this is actually lazy, I'm right?
I don't agree with our devices really spying, they all have there usefulness and at the same time shortcoming when they disturb us with the aim of getting us Imformed and updated, it might be troublesome enough most especially in the night? The best is we should always turn it on whenever we needed them but how about device like phone, we really don't have much option left on that other than getting used to it.
This is exactly true, if you don't have need for it then turn it off if for no other reason just to save energy.
Although as humans we should put humanity above personal gains and lust for wealth because that is the only thing driving these telemarketers
Yeah the 'turn the damn thing off' trick works. And am going with turning the location off. It's not necessary for it to be on when at home. Everyone around the world needs to put a stop to this because this spying is not about to stop until a ban is raised against it.
GPDR should be implemented for European countries. Because the GPDR will work as a solution to many problems. The problem that can be solved is that it is going to be quite a bad time, the world's most popular social network, Facebook. Analysts believe that this is the biggest business push of the renowned Incorporated company since the start of the journey 14 years ago. And this push is so strong that in a week, Facebook lost nearly eight million to 30,000 crore (more than 100 billion US dollars. And its biggest evidence is that more than five crore subscribers' data is inherent in recent times. By the end of2017, the number of Facebook users was more than 2.3 billion. In addition to Instagram and WhatsApp owned by the company, the number of this user is about three billion - more than half of the world's population. According to psychologists, this huge user controls a lot of everyday life, and this social media. Enlitika to complain about 5 million user data. Thousands of accounts around the world have been 'detractive', the media said. Many famous Facebook pages have been protesting. Even on Facebook, Account Deactivate page has been opened. Although the Facebook authorities did not provide the deleted account information, very few users deleted the account.
good writing, smiling me when reading it 😎😎
My friend well said. We are dying gradually. Self-driving cars or autonomous cars are even getting wider and greater adoption. Not only automotive tech giants are working on development of self-driving cars, but as well such companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple are investing lots of money to develop autonomous cars. So we wont drive again.
The little opportunity we have to walk down to a store would be invalid because we can now place orders right from our rooms. We dont spend cash again. Everything is global.
I advise each of us to watch zuckerberg's chat with that congresswoman while in court. She exposed a lot and he admitted to them.
In 50 years technology will change completely the way we live now. Some changes are desirable, some - not so much, but we can’t stop nor control them.
Wow. This is really brilliant @donkeypong.
I really gave some time reflecting on the post
Now a days, these tech are blocking us from exploring the surrounding, it blocks our minds from the outer world, as if they manged to control our brains and direct it to do what ever they want, we must return to the good old days, where you see a child reading a book, playing sports, visiting families or even doing his homework by his own, the technology are blocking us from gaining knowledge, our minds are blocked out, we prefer to go the easy way using technology rather than do some hard work to find the result.
God bless us and our future children. We are loosing it.
Wow. Wow. This is worth reading again. Beautiful post.
We would be shocked too when we will have a tech that will make us filled up and wont need to eat.
PLS CAN WE HAVE A TECHNOLOGY THAT WOULD MAKE US LESS DEPENDENT ON THESE TECH
Crazy idea right? But its killing us gradually.
Case in point: Documents recently released by Wikileaks suggest the Central Intelligence Agency can use spying targets’ TVs against them, turning the sets into always-listening microphones. Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, also recently claimed that microwaves could also be used as spying devices, though she has since walked back those comments. Other “smart” devices, meanwhile, have been caught secretly tracking their users’ behavior and reporting that information back to the company that made them.
The isssue with Facebook and Cambridge analytica is a remark have at the top of the priority list where information of a huge number of individuals were endangered in view of cash... how far would this be able to individuals truly go @donkeypong
No, today gadgets really help our day-to-day activities, such as smartphones, gadgets that there are good side of it and there is also the bad side of it, depending on the people who wear it, if the gadgets are in use for good then the effect is also good, but if the gunan kan for crime then the effect is bad.
Late features about PRISM, the U.S. government program that enables security authorities to keep an eye on individuals' Internet action, affirm what scheme scholars have for quite some time been predicting: Big Brother is viewing.
In any case, is the legislature the main substance monitoring what you scan for, watch and talk about with companions? Truly, there are others out there — organizations, promoters, tricksters — wanting to fill their pockets by gathering your own information.
What's more, they have an assortment of devices available to them to assemble the data they require — instruments you may even have with you at the present time. It's hard to believe, but it's true: Everything from the cell phone in your pocket to the TV in your room can possibly be utilized to keep an eye on you.
Really interesting post here i must say.
Everything seems to be moving so much more quickly nowadays. Why throw a grilled cheese sandwich on an actual grill when you can just toss it into an automatic sandwich maker? Why have mom over to show off your new apartment when you can just pop into FaceTime for a quick video chat? Why drive over to the library when you can pull up Wikipedia or do a Google search? In fact, why open a window when we can check the weather on our phones?
With the right tech in your home, you might not ever need to leave your bed. Its really sad that things are getting really far.
The remarkable guidelines in your home are my lord profoundly complimented by what you encounter
I am including individuals who can not escape with online networking and android.
this is mind blowing master.
nice article.. upvoted resteem and followed!
a masterpiece that is truly amazing,i really,your are incredible my friend,@donkeypong
In my own perspective, technology of things is driving the world crazy. There are disadvantage of technology;
Technology is making us to be lazy there are something we need to do by ourselves normal home chores, but still expecting technology to do it for us.
Major things is that technology is increasing unemployment rate, because, most of the thing we do technology is now doing it (robot).
I will accept technology innovation in advance country not in under development country
Very useful information for all steemians
Success @donkeypong
Informasi yang sangat berguna bagi semua steemian
Sukses @donkeypong
Mentioned some information that is really beneficial for us. I learned many things from reading your post. Which will be useful in our normal life. Thank you so much for posting so beautiful..
you very fuuny man,