Is Amazon’s Newest Futuristic Product Pushing the Limits of Privacy?

Courtesy of Wired.com

“Amazon is throwing terrifying spaghetti at the wall.” – Even Greer, Fight for the Future

This past month, Amazon and Ring announced the $250 :Always Home Cam” indoor drone that will be available in 2021. The Always Home Cam is a flying camera drone that docks when it isn’t in use. Amazon and Ring also announced as an effort to improve the security of its devices, they plan for end-to-end encryption in the Ring app’s Control Center “later this year”. The cam allows a customer to access the drone recording through their mobile app (shown in the gif below) to see if there are any intruders in the house. The Always Home Cam has been a recent hot topic because many people feel this is too much of an invasion of privacy. Almost as if Amazon is “throwing a terrifying spaghetti at the wall” hoping it sticks. The big concern surrounding this new device is security. Some customers are a bit uneasy after Security Ring’s user data being breached in December 2018. Although Ring has implemented more security measures much as two-factor authentication and add a privacy and security Control Center through the app, people are still weary of their level of security.

I have a Ring doorbell and security system for my home and it makes me feel a lot safer than I thought it would. The mobile app chimes when someone is detected out side and I am able to check out through live stream if anyone is there. I also like that you are able to view past recordings and communicate through the doorbell with your mobile device. It has been super useful for me recently as I caught someone trying to break into my car and my neighbors cars right from my iPhone through the app. I set off my car alarm from my keys and the person fled. Although I love the Ring security system, I feel a little uneasy about this new project and don’t really see a need for it.

Courtesy of Amazon/Youtube

I do think this is a cool idea and could possibly be the future of security systems but I’m just not sure it is something I would want in my home. I can see this product making some customers lives more convenient and safe but is it really all that necessary? “The best scenarios Ring founder Jamie Siminoff could envision revolved around checking to see if you left the stove on or a window open. But a drone cam isn’t going to turn off that stove or shut that window. And if there’s a door blocking its path, it isn’t going to magically phase through it”(Adrian Covert, spy.com). It would be nice to check on the house and my dog when I am not there but I feel like it would be an unnecessary security device for intruders because I already have ring doorbell as well as window sensors. To me, this feels like too much of an invasion of privacy. I would be too freaked out about the device “watching me” or getting hacked. It is one thing to have a security camera at your door, its another to have one that is able to roam all over your house, so I think I’ll just stick to my Ring doorbell.

Resources:

Covert, Adrian. “Does Amazon’s New Ring Flying Drone (Yes, Really) Take Home Security a Step Too Far?” SPY, SPY, 28 Sept. 2020, spy.com/articles/gadgets/smart-home/amazon-ring-home-security-drone-1202707063/.

Newman, Lily Hay. “Amazon’s Latest Gimmicks Are Pushing the Limits of Privacy.” Wired, Conde Nast, 11 Oct. 2020, www.wired.com/story/amazon-drone-camera-go-palm-data-privacy/.

Wollerton, Megan. “Amazon’s New Ring Camera Is Actually a Flying Drone — for inside Your Home.” CNET, CNET, 8 Oct. 2020, www.cnet.com/news/amazons-new-ring-camera-is-actually-a-flying-drone-for-inside-your-home/.

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