www/proprietary malware-amazon.html proprietary...

[Therese Godefroy]

CVSROOT:        /webcvs/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Therese Godefroy <th_g> 19/05/29 01:04:02

Modified files:
        proprietary    : malware-amazon.html 
                         proprietary-surveillance.html proprietary.html 
        proprietary/workshop: mal.rec 

Log message:
        Permanent storage of Alexa data (www-discuss 2018-05-28).

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/malware-amazon.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.26&r2=1.27
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.272&r2=1.273
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/proprietary.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.134&r2=1.135
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/workshop/mal.rec?cvsroot=www&r1=1.99&r2=1.100

Patches:
Index: malware-amazon.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/malware-amazon.html,v
retrieving revision 1.26
retrieving revision 1.27
diff -u -b -r1.26 -r1.27
--- malware-amazon.html 27 Apr 2019 19:13:29 -0000      1.26
+++ malware-amazon.html 29 May 2019 05:04:01 -0000      1.27
@@ -131,6 +131,28 @@
 <h4 id="echo-surveillance">Surveillance</h4>
 
 <ul class="blurbs">
+  <li id="M201905061">
+    <p>Amazon Alexa collects a lot more information from users
+    than is necessary for correct functioning (time, location,
+    recordings made without a legitimate prompt), and sends
+    it to Amazon's servers, which store it indefinitely. Even
+    worse, Amazon forwards it to third-party companies. Thus,
+    even if users request deletion of their data from Amazon's servers, <a
+    
href="https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/Alexa-has-been-eavesdropping-on-you-this-whole-13822095.php";>
+    the data remain on other servers, where they can be accessed by
+    advertising companies and government agencies. In other words,
+    deleting the collected information doesn't cancel the wrong of
+    collecting it.</p>
+
+    <p>Data collected by devices such as the Nest thermostat, the Philips
+    Hue-connected lights, the Chamberlain MyQ garage opener and the Sonos
+    speakers are likewise stored longer than necessary on the servers
+    the devices are tethered to. Moreover, they are made available to
+    Alexa. As a result, Amazon has a very precise picture of users' life
+    at home, not only in the present, but in the past (and, who knows,
+    in the future too?)</p>
+  </li>
+
   <li id="M201904240">
     <p>Some of users' commands to the Alexa service are <a
     
href="https://www.smh.com.au/technology/alexa-is-someone-else-listening-to-us-sometimes-someone-is-20190411-p51d4g.html";>
@@ -271,7 +293,7 @@
 
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2019/04/27 19:13:29 $
+$Date: 2019/05/29 05:04:01 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>

Index: proprietary-surveillance.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html,v
retrieving revision 1.272
retrieving revision 1.273
diff -u -b -r1.272 -r1.273
--- proprietary-surveillance.html       10 May 2019 16:43:15 -0000      1.272
+++ proprietary-surveillance.html       29 May 2019 05:04:01 -0000      1.273
@@ -1789,6 +1789,28 @@
 </div>
 
 <ul class="blurbs">
+  <li id="M201905061">
+    <p>Amazon Alexa collects a lot more information from users
+    than is necessary for correct functioning (time, location,
+    recordings made without a legitimate prompt), and sends
+    it to Amazon's servers, which store it indefinitely. Even
+    worse, Amazon forwards it to third-party companies. Thus,
+    even if users request deletion of their data from Amazon's servers, <a
+    
href="https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/Alexa-has-been-eavesdropping-on-you-this-whole-13822095.php";>
+    the data remain on other servers, where they can be accessed by
+    advertising companies and government agencies. In other words,
+    deleting the collected information doesn't cancel the wrong of
+    collecting it.</p>
+
+    <p>Data collected by devices such as the Nest thermostat, the Philips
+    Hue-connected lights, the Chamberlain MyQ garage opener and the Sonos
+    speakers are likewise stored longer than necessary on the servers
+    the devices are tethered to. Moreover, they are made available to
+    Alexa. As a result, Amazon has a very precise picture of users' life
+    at home, not only in the present, but in the past (and, who knows,
+    in the future too?)</p>
+  </li>
+
   <li id="M201904240">
     <p>Some of users' commands to the Alexa service are <a
     
href="https://www.smh.com.au/technology/alexa-is-someone-else-listening-to-us-sometimes-someone-is-20190411-p51d4g.html";>
@@ -2347,7 +2369,7 @@
 
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2019/05/10 16:43:15 $
+$Date: 2019/05/29 05:04:01 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>

Index: proprietary.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/proprietary.html,v
retrieving revision 1.134
retrieving revision 1.135
diff -u -b -r1.134 -r1.135
--- proprietary.html    18 May 2019 08:20:17 -0000      1.134
+++ proprietary.html    29 May 2019 05:04:02 -0000      1.135
@@ -147,6 +147,28 @@
 <h3 id="latest">Latest additions</h3>
 
 <ul class="blurbs">
+  <li id="M201905061">
+    <p>Amazon Alexa collects a lot more information from users
+    than is necessary for correct functioning (time, location,
+    recordings made without a legitimate prompt), and sends
+    it to Amazon's servers, which store it indefinitely. Even
+    worse, Amazon forwards it to third-party companies. Thus,
+    even if users request deletion of their data from Amazon's servers, <a
+    
href="https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/Alexa-has-been-eavesdropping-on-you-this-whole-13822095.php";>
+    the data remain on other servers, where they can be accessed by
+    advertising companies and government agencies. In other words,
+    deleting the collected information doesn't cancel the wrong of
+    collecting it.</p>
+
+    <p>Data collected by devices such as the Nest thermostat, the Philips
+    Hue-connected lights, the Chamberlain MyQ garage opener and the Sonos
+    speakers are likewise stored longer than necessary on the servers
+    the devices are tethered to. Moreover, they are made available to
+    Alexa. As a result, Amazon has a very precise picture of users' life
+    at home, not only in the present, but in the past (and, who knows,
+    in the future too?)</p>
+  </li>
+
   <li id="M201905150">
     <p>Users caught in the jail of an iMonster are <a
     href="https://boingboing.net/2019/05/15/brittle-security.html";> sitting
@@ -192,25 +214,6 @@
     connectivity by disconnecting the cellular modem, or wrapping the
     antenna in aluminum foil?</p>
   </li>
-
-  <li id="M201904240">
-    <p>Some of users' commands to the Alexa service are <a
-    
href="https://www.smh.com.au/technology/alexa-is-someone-else-listening-to-us-sometimes-someone-is-20190411-p51d4g.html";>
-    recorded for Amazon employees to listen to</a>. The Google and Apple
-    voice assistants do similar things.</p>
-
-    <p>A fraction of the Alexa service staff even has access to <a
-    
href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/amazon-s-alexa-reviewers-can-access-customers-home-addresses-1.1248788";>
-    location and other personal data</a>.</p>
-
-    <p>Since the client program is nonfree, and data processing is done
-    &ldquo;<a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#CloudComputing">in
-    the cloud</a>&rdquo; (a soothing way of saying &ldquo;We won't
-    tell you how and where it's done&rdquo;), users have no way
-    to know what happens to the recordings unless human eavesdroppers <a
-    
href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/three-cheers-for-amazon-s-human-eavesdroppers-1.1243033";>
-    break their non-disclosure agreements</a>.</p>
-  </li>
 </ul>
 
 
@@ -271,7 +274,7 @@
 
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2019/05/18 08:20:17 $
+$Date: 2019/05/29 05:04:02 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>

Index: workshop/mal.rec
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/workshop/mal.rec,v
retrieving revision 1.99
retrieving revision 1.100
diff -u -b -r1.99 -r1.100
--- workshop/mal.rec    18 May 2019 08:20:18 -0000      1.99
+++ workshop/mal.rec    29 May 2019 05:04:02 -0000      1.100
@@ -25,6 +25,33 @@
 ####    Please don't remove the blank line after this marker!    ####
 # ADD NEW BLURB HERE
 
+Added: 2019-05-29
+Id: 201905061
+RT: www-discuss 2018-05-28 (...Alexa-has-been-eavesdropping...)
+PubDate: 2019-05-06
+Target: proprietary-surveillance.html SpywareAtHome
+Target: malware-amazon.html echo-surveillance
+Keywords: Alexa Nest Philips Chamberlain Sonos
+Blurb: <p>Amazon Alexa collects a lot more information from users
++   than is necessary for correct functioning (time, location,
++   recordings made without a legitimate prompt), and sends
++   it to Amazon's servers, which store it indefinitely. Even
++   worse, Amazon forwards it to third-party companies. Thus,
++   even if users request deletion of their data from Amazon's servers, <a
++   
href="https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/Alexa-has-been-eavesdropping-on-you-this-whole-13822095.php";>
++   the data remain on other servers, where they can be accessed by
++   advertising companies and government agencies. In other words,
++   deleting the collected information doesn't cancel the wrong of
++   collecting it.</p>
++
++   <p>Data collected by devices such as the Nest thermostat, the Philips
++   Hue-connected lights, the Chamberlain MyQ garage opener and the Sonos
++   speakers are likewise stored longer than necessary on the servers
++   the devices are tethered to. Moreover, they are made available to
++   Alexa. As a result, Amazon has a very precise picture of users' life
++   at home, not only in the present, but in the past (and, who knows,
++   in the future too?)</p>
+
 Added: 2019-05-18
 Id: 201905150
 RT: www-discuss 2019-05-17 (proprietary-insecurity)