I’ve been in tech my whole life, first in IT, now I’m a software developer and educated as an engineer. I have an IoT setup because it makes life easier, the security stuff also is a big time deterrent for would-be thieves. I know the stuff isn’t super secure in itself but I don’t get the paranoia, you tote your phone around everywhere, what do you think that’s doing? Also, they only use your data to try to sell you shit, it’s nothing nefarious and if it ever becomes so, it’s time to dump everything and live in the woods.
For me, it’s mostly the principle of the thing. It is none of a company’s business what I do and where I go and what I buy, and the more smart devices you have, the more information they can gather.
You can’t stop it, but personally, I see no reason to make it easy for them.
This is pretty much where I’m at. It’s too difficult to fully stop data collection without having to live off the grid, but I sure as shit will block every single ad on my devices. So really they can collect as much data as they want but I won’t let them use it to sell me their garbage.
Having a phone with you at all times and refusing to use tech in your house is like getting a super size big mac but saying you’re healthy because you got a diet coke.
I too have a monitored home security system: Ring, but with no Ring cameras. I’m completely fine with it as I’m paying someone to essentially “watch my house” for me. I’m not concerned they can see door, motion, and glass break sensors.
But every other IoT device in my house is limited to the local network and controlled through Home Assistant. Not only is it far more secure and eliminates the privacy issues – it’s a better experience. Everything is integrated, automated exactly the way I want them to be, and controlled through a single app I configured to suit me.
$5 a month for a VPS running a wireguard VPN server gets me a secure, reliable connection between the app and home server.
I’ve been in tech my whole life, first in IT, now I’m a software developer and educated as an engineer. I have an IoT setup because it makes life easier, the security stuff also is a big time deterrent for would-be thieves. I know the stuff isn’t super secure in itself but I don’t get the paranoia, you tote your phone around everywhere, what do you think that’s doing? Also, they only use your data to try to sell you shit, it’s nothing nefarious and if it ever becomes so, it’s time to dump everything and live in the woods.
For me, it’s mostly the principle of the thing. It is none of a company’s business what I do and where I go and what I buy, and the more smart devices you have, the more information they can gather.
You can’t stop it, but personally, I see no reason to make it easy for them.
Why can’t you stop it? LineageOS for your phone, Linux at home, cash at stores.
People can stop them, and it’s not actually that hard.
Who controls your home, you or a large multi national corporation? It’s not paranoia, if you run afoul of that corporation, in an account billing dispute or other minor thing they will not think twice about disabling your access to your house.
And if you destroy their property to get in your house? The police could very well arrest you, because it was you on video who broke into the house.
This is pretty much where I’m at. It’s too difficult to fully stop data collection without having to live off the grid, but I sure as shit will block every single ad on my devices. So really they can collect as much data as they want but I won’t let them use it to sell me their garbage.
Having a phone with you at all times and refusing to use tech in your house is like getting a super size big mac but saying you’re healthy because you got a diet coke.
You can control what your phone does too, so there’s no need to give up on it all just because a phone is in your pocket.
As others have mentioned in this thread - AOSP roms like GrapheneOS and LineageOS can do the trick.
I too have a monitored home security system: Ring, but with no Ring cameras. I’m completely fine with it as I’m paying someone to essentially “watch my house” for me. I’m not concerned they can see door, motion, and glass break sensors.
But every other IoT device in my house is limited to the local network and controlled through Home Assistant. Not only is it far more secure and eliminates the privacy issues – it’s a better experience. Everything is integrated, automated exactly the way I want them to be, and controlled through a single app I configured to suit me.
$5 a month for a VPS running a wireguard VPN server gets me a secure, reliable connection between the app and home server.