On Thu, 15 Jun 2023 06:20:11 -0700, anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net>
wrote:

>NoBody <NoBody@nowhere.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, 14 Jun 2023 09:20:23 -0700 (PDT), chromebook test
>> <chromiumtest56@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 12:14:17?PM UTC-4, Rhino wrote:
>>>> On 2023-06-13 7:31 PM, BTR1701 wrote:
>>>>> A man found himself locked out of his smart house powered by Amazon
>>>>> because, while he wasn't home, an Amazon delivery driver mistakenly thought
>>>>> he heard a racist remark come from the man's doorbell, reported it to
>>>>> Amazon, and Amazon immediately locked down the account, locking the man out
>>>>> of his home.
>>>>>
>>>>> Here's what the man accused of racism wrote on Medium:
>>>>>
>>>>> "When I connected with the executive, they asked if I knew why my account
>>>>> had been locked. When I answered I was unsure, their tone turned somewhat
>>>>> accusatory. I was told that the driver who had delivered my package
>>>>> reported receiving racist remarks from my Ring doorbell."
>>>>>
>>>>> It turns out that a delivery driver (with headphones on) imagined he heard
>>>>> something racist from the doorbell, but the owner of the house wasn't even
>>>>> home when the event happened. He also had cameras all over the property
>>>>> that showed that he was totally innocent.
>>>>>
>>>>> "I reviewed the footage and confirmed that no such comments had been made.
>>>>> Instead, the Eufy doorbell had issued an automated response: 'Excuse me,
>>>>> can I help you? M' The driver, who was walking away and wearing headphones,
>>>>> must have misinterpreted the message. Nevertheless, by the following day,
>>>>> my Amazon account was locked, and all my Echo devices were logged out,
>>>>> leaving me no ability to unlock my doors and access my home."
>>>>>
>>>>> How insane is this? They locked the man out of his own home from Thursday,
>>>>> May 25, to Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
>>>>>
>>>>> "In the end, my account was unlocked on Wednesday, with no follow-up email
>>>>> to inform me of the resolution."
>>>>>
>>>>> It's 2023 y'all. Corporations can now lock you out of your home and
>>>>> completely shut down your life if they think you're racist.
>>>>>
>>>>> https://notthebee.com/article/amazon-just-locked-a-man-out-of-his-smart-house-because-a-delivery-driver-reported-him-as-a-racist-after-mishearing-something-from-the-doorbell--the-man-wasnt-even-at-home
>>>> Worse than that, they can do it on the incredibly thin grounds that one
>>>> of their delivery drivers, who was no doubt hurrying and distracted,
>>>> THOUGHT he heard something despite wearing headphones at the time. (My
>>>> bet is that if he/she really heard something racist, it was in whatever
>>>> he/she heard over the headphones. Given that most delivery drivers are
>>>> young and probably inclined to listen to rap, it wouldn't be surprising
>>>> to hear something racist.)
>>>>
>>>> In any case, if I were this customer, I'd be removing all this Amazon
>>>> tech IMMEDIATELY, telling everyone I could reach about it and suing
>>>> Amazon for at least the costs of having to stay elsewhere for almost a
>>>> week.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Rhino
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The story in question involved a black Amazon delivery guy, to a black
>>> Amazon customer's house in a predominantly black neighborhood. I am
>>> betting there is more to this story that will eventually come out.
>>>
>>
>> NO ONE WAS HOME AT THE TIME. What "more" could there be to this
>> story.
>
>Don’t make me defend Amazon here, but doesn’t the ring doorbell let you see
>who’s at the door and speak to them remotely, like from your iPhone?

I think it can do that. Doesn't mean someone is ready to pick up the
phone and talk to the person or that they have it set to ring their
phone.

On Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 7:17:18 AM UTC-4, NoBody wrote:
> On Wed, 14 Jun 2023 08:23:34 -0700 (PDT), chromebook test
> <chromiu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >On Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 7:31:40?PM UTC-4, BTR1701 wrote:
> >> A man found himself locked out of his smart house powered by Amazon
> >
> >
> >> It's 2023 y'all. Corporations can now lock you out of your home and
> >> completely shut down your life if they think you're racist.
> >>
> >> https://notthebee.com/article/amazon-just-locked-a-man-out-of-his-smart-house-because-a-delivery-driver-reported-him-as-a-racist-after-mishearing-something-from-the-doorbell--the-man-wasnt-even-at-home
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >random notes:
> >
> >I have (at least) a dozen smart home devices. Smart switches, smart bulbs, smart plugs, smart LED strip lights, smart cameras, smart TVs, and recess smart can lights. I chose GOOGLE's system over the others (Apple, Amazon, Zigbee, etc, etc) for several reasons
> >
> >1) Compatibility. Most Google devices will work with Amazon Echo, as will a few with Apple Siri. Amazon devices until recently, would not work with Google. Google's system is more open, more compatible, and has many 3rd party manufacturers. Apple's system is finicky and even 3rd party wifi routers can cause problems.
> >
> >2) Price: An Apple smart plug can cost $50. A comparable Google plug is $7. Amazon is $24.
> >
> >3) Availability: In conjunction with price, and because I buy at auction, I have limited most of my smart device purchases to what I can find at auction. Google seems to top the list where I shop. I have bought Apple and Amazon devices to examine quality or test, but wound up giving all those smart devices away to neighbors and friends. Google's ecosystem is my preference.

> >4) I don't worry about being locked out of my house because Amazon locked me out of my account.

> You should be. This person lost access on an accusation that was
> impossible since no one was home. Amazon policies apparently punish
> you based on only an accusation.

My home network (1) is connected to DOZENS of devices manufactured by DOZENS of different corporations.

Wyze, TP-Link/Kasa, Asus, Acer, Lenovo, LG, TCL, HP, Dell, ZTE, Google, Alcatel, ONN, etc etc etc.

But the one manufacturer NOT included in that list is:

AMAZON

(1)
Auction price new for pennies on the dollar, .... and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ZenWiFi-AX6600-Tri-Band-System/dp/B08LPSXNMS

On Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:17:11 -0400, NoBody <NoBody@nowhere.com> wrote:

>You should be. This person lost access on an accusation that was
>impossible since no one was home. Amazon policies apparently punish
>you based on only an accusation.

Given that the accuser was wearing headphones when "he thought he
heard something" that should be grounds for dismissal given the
consequences for the customer - you simply DON'T make a serious
accusation of this nature without reasonably good (note: NOT guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt).

As a now retired store owner I'd have no difficulty dismissing a
staffer who accused a customer of shoplifting without being DARNED
sure of it - I'd give the staffer the benefit of the doubt but if he
was wearing something (headphones, sunglasses etc which in my opinion
shouldn't be worn on the job in any case) that impaired his hearing or
vision and he still made the accusation without taking the headphones
or sunglasses off first to verify......

As a manager, a staffer who made an accusation that would lead to
suspension of a customer account without first removig anything that
would block his hearing - for sure that would be "dismissal for
cause".

But then I disagree with the homeowner's idea that 'staff have to be
able to ensure their safety' since the driver could easily just drive
away and report what he thought he heard to his boss without fear of
personal safety.

Incidentally I found the homeowner's statement on line at

https://medium.com/@bjax_/a-tale-of-unwanted-disruption-my-week-without-amazon-df1074e3818b

It's quite different from what we've been discussing here. In some
ways I'm more understanding but in others madder than ever and I
really do think the homeowner comes across as a complete wimp.

GIven the impact for the customer it is completely unconscionable that
"3 to 5 business days" could ever be considered an acceptable service
standard by Amazon - I know when my ISP service went down I was on the
line to my ISP within 20 minutes and if they had told me "3 to 5
business days" especially across a long weekend I'd be looking for a
new ISP! (I HAVE actually told tech support "I've been with you guys
20 years and this is the longest you've EVER been down so I expect you
to be moving heaven and earth to restore service!" - that was after a
snowstorm last winter where it turned out to be that melting water had
gotten through a crack in the pipe that their cable went through and
that caused shorts)

But regardless, if I even had a multiday disruption in service like
that as a customer I would certainly be demanding an extension or
other form of credit on my account. Though given my ISP they'd be
offering it to us.

On Thu, 15 Jun 2023 09:35:43 -0400, shawn
<nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com> wrote:

>>Don’t make me defend Amazon here, but doesn’t the ring doorbell let you see
>>who’s at the door and speak to them remotely, like from your iPhone?
>
>I think it can do that. Doesn't mean someone is ready to pick up the
>phone and talk to the person or that they have it set to ring their
>phone.

True - just because there's an optional bell and whistle that allows
you to do something doesn't mean your ISP has a right to DEMAND you
use it. (In most cases such an option would be on by default leaving
you to switch it off - and a remote ringer is definitely something you
might WANT to periodically shut off - say if you were out of town)

On Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 4:24:38 PM UTC-4, The Horny Goat wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:17:11 -0400, NoBody <NoB...@nowhere.com> wrote:

> Incidentally I found the homeowner's statement on line at
>
> https://medium.com/@bjax_/a-tale-of-unwanted-disruption-my-week-without-amazon-df1074e3818b
>
> It's quite different from what we've been discussing here. In some
> ways I'm more understanding but in others madder than ever and I
> really do think the homeowner comes across as a complete wimp.

I posted a link to the homeowners blog post and vid #1 within an hour after BTR1701's original thread starter post, around 8:30 PM on the 13th of June.. It should be the second post in this thread if your newsreader doesn't honor 'cancel post' which I did inside GoogleGroups (GG which I use because I'm too lazy to set up a usenet client again)

The homeowner since the 13th (today?) has UPDATED his blog to include a self-made vid that explains more.

The homeowner is a Microsoft employee who sounds VERY tech savvy. He HOSTS his own internal home software and iot Raspberry Pi's. He wasn't specific, but whatever he is using to self host, sounds like Home Assistant (1) . As he mentions in vid#2, he did NOT lose control of his smart home, he lost only the ability to give Alexa verbal commands. He was still able to control devices with Apple's Siri voice commands.

In the comment section of his self-made vid, the homeowner, Brandon Jackson said this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_onpy_gGnyU

@cathyjones4702
1 day ago
Eufy uses completely different servers than Ring and Amazon. How could they be in any way related?

@DevBrandonJackson
1 day ago
They aren't. Eufy is supposed to be local as well which is why they cost more and either you provide storage or buy a unit from them that handles storage so it's not on their servers. Keep in mind my smart home didn't go down, I just lost alexa and used Siri instead. Most of my stuff is hosted locally and run via my raspberry pis. The larger issue is if someone did depend on alexa they'd be shut out. Either way it's still wrong and that's why I'm raising awareness and trying to have an open conversation with Amazon.

(1)
https://www.home-assistant.io/

shawn <nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com> wrote:
>On Wed, 14 Jun 2023 22:20:27 -0000 (UTC), Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com>:
>>shawn <nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com> wrote:
>>>On Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:01:58 -0700, The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:
>>>>Wed, 14 Jun 2023 01:37:59 -0400, shawn <nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com>:

>>>>>That's the crazy and dangerous thing that is being discussed here. The
>>>>>only argument that Amazon has is that the driver misheard. Not that
>>>>>they were in the wrong for disabling all of the Amazon connected
>>>>>equipment. So this could and will happen to someone again in the
>>>>>future so that all of their Amazon enabled equipment would stop
>>>>>working or at least be severely disabled without being able to use the
>>>>>Amazon enabled portion of their features.

>>>>>What isn't clear to me is if the local features still worked. So if he
>>>>>had Nest thermostat did it still work or was it disabled because of
>>>>>the Amazon disconnection.

>>>>My whole point is that EVEN IF THE DRIVER HEARD CORRECTLY Amazon was
>>>>completely in the wrong in using their "security system" to prevent
>>>>someone accessing their own home - even once never mind for 6 days.

>>>>A major corporation has the right to assume their customers range
>>>>between angelic and pond scum - but even so that doesn't give them the
>>>>right to interfere with access to property that is not owned by
>>>>Amazon.

>>>The problem is that ownership becomes a hazy thing when Amazon is
>>>running the service that controls the device. So Amazon didn't do
>>>anything to the devices as the guy still had them in his home. They
>>>just turned off his service so he couldn't control them remotely.
>>>Something that is certainly within their rights, even if the reason
>>>behind this action was wrong.

>>No, you're going to have to explain your position how Amazon was within
>>its rights. Effectively they took possession of the man's home by
>>deception or some other illegal means. It was clearly capricious.

>Adam, firstly, I don't believe they took control of his home. While
>some reports put it that way, others say it was only various smart
>devices like light controls and his own comments suggest that he still
>had full access to his home. While I disagree with what Amazon did
>there's no way you can argue that Amazon doesn't have the right to
>discontinue service. That's clearly something they are allowed to do.

Nonperformance of contract? No, they were in breech.

>. . .

On Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 7:31:40 PM UTC-4, BTR1701 wrote:
> A man found himself locked out of his smart house powered by Amazon
> because, while he wasn't home, an Amazon delivery driver mistakenly thought
> he heard a racist remark come from the man's doorbell, reported it to
> Amazon, and Amazon immediately locked down the account, locking the man out
> of his home.
>
> Here's what the man accused of racism wrote on Medium:
>
> "When I connected with the executive, they asked if I knew why my account
> had been locked. When I answered I was unsure, their tone turned somewhat
> accusatory. I was told that the driver who had delivered my package
> reported receiving racist remarks from my Ring doorbell."
>
> It turns out that a delivery driver (with headphones on) imagined he heard
> something racist from the doorbell, but the owner of the house wasn't even
> home when the event happened. He also had cameras all over the property
> that showed that he was totally innocent.
>
> "I reviewed the footage and confirmed that no such comments had been made..
> Instead, the Eufy doorbell had issued an automated response: 'Excuse me,
> can I help you? M' The driver, who was walking away and wearing headphones,
> must have misinterpreted the message. Nevertheless, by the following day,
> my Amazon account was locked, and all my Echo devices were logged out,
> leaving me no ability to unlock my doors and access my home."
>
> How insane is this? They locked the man out of his own home from Thursday,
> May 25, to Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
>
> "In the end, my account was unlocked on Wednesday, with no follow-up email
> to inform me of the resolution."
>
> It's 2023 y'all. Corporations can now lock you out of your home and
> completely shut down your life if they think you're racist.
>
> https://notthebee.com/article/amazon-just-locked-a-man-out-of-his-smart-house-because-a-delivery-driver-reported-him-as-a-racist-after-mishearing-something-from-the-doorbell--the-man-wasnt-even-at-home

[Amazon Smart Home Lockout Update] The Dangers of Dependence: Infighting and Narratives Hampering Progress
Brandon Jackson
Brandon Jackson

·
Follow

4 min read
·
4 days ago
3

1

The following are only my thoughts and opinions.

Key Points:

I was never locked out of anything except Alexa due to self-hosting most of my services and many devices only need to run locally or fall back to their “dumb” state.
No one should lose access to a device they’ve purchased. Regardless of their views, no mater how extreme, or beliefs.
Amazon Echo (Alexa) served as a non-critical auxiliary device in my home.
I use “corporate speak” to ensure serious engagement and avoid dismissal.
I personally adopt the “escalators can’t break, they just become stairs” approach, we need to make this true for everyone.
We need to have our focus on not just personally reducing our dependency on someone else’s computer. We need to fight with our wallets. People need to see the open dialog here. This needs to end in policy changes.
The rapid mainstream news cycle and coverage has caused many to miss the core points of my argument. I hope that doesn’t come off condescending as that’s not what I’m aiming for here. This article will cover some of the recurring themes I’ve noticed in journalists’ and commenters’ feedback. Please check out updates made to the original article [here].

Understanding the Disconnect
As a software engineer, I understand the confusion about how I could get locked out of my devices. The truth is, I never was! My article aimed to represent the perspective of the average user (this is not an insult as I’m the average car user for example). We can’t realistically expect everyone to self-host their own services, just as we don’t expect everyone to perform their own car maintenance.

My Aim: Change, Not Sympathy
I went public with my story to ignite a conversation and raise awareness, not to flaunt my technical capabilities and how “cool I am” that I self host my own services. The real issue here is the overreliance on tech giants like Amazon, especially for individuals who depend on these devices for certain aspects of their life. Let’s not forget that there are many people who rely on Alexa for entertainment, news, and more. The loss of such a device could be devastating to them. For example, years ago, I bought someone who’s suffered vision loss a smart assistant. It enables them to read, get news, listen to music, etc, all with their voice..

The Implications for Others
This situation could have been much more challenging for someone who doesn’t look like me. Companies like Amazon need to consider the possible ramifications of their actions more carefully, particularly when they involve unfounded allegations. Even if the allegations are true, that’s not something Amazon should be enforcing.

Amazon’s Track Record
Several people have shared their stories with me about Amazon’s heavy-handedness. Many of these narratives would have remained hidden had Louis Rossman not highlighted my article. I believe in our right to own our devices and our data, and I am committed to advocating for change. I feel passionate enough about this to try and play a part in getting change in world instead of just staying private or even worse, making fun of people who don’t want to spend their weekend SSH-ed into a terminal and doing planned outages for fall back validation.

Recommendations for Amazon and Other Smart Home Device Makers
A Local-First Approach is Critical
Why does a device need to connect to the internet or require an account if it is simply sending a request to another device on the same network? It’s time to reassess the necessity of these requirements.

Separate Alexa Accounts from Amazon Accounts
This measure could have prevented the situation. There should be no link between ensuring driver safety (e.g. making sure someone isn’t trying to physically harm them) and controlling one’s lights. Amazon should allow users to self-host Alexa and separate Alexa from Amazon accounts.

Recommendations for Consumers
If you are unwilling to set up your own smart home, strongly consider avoiding smart devices. Amazon isn’t the only company that makes such devices, but over-reliance on any single company is a disaster waiting to happen. If you have a spare laptop or desktop, consider installing Home Assistant. Aim to ensure that these non-locally hosted devices are auxiliary and not critical or have access to all of your data. Most smart devices should be on a vlan and segmented from your normal network.

Conclusion
I urge everyone to consider their device usage and find ways to reduce dependency on third parties. Consumers should do their best to reclaim control and prevent corporations from locking us out of devices we own. On my end, this is not over. I honestly have no clue what I’m doing and the best way to fight this, however, I’m going to try. If you have a similar story I encourage you to write about, make a video, get it out there! Just canceling your prime subscription and throwing away devices won’t move the needle.

https://medium.com/@bjax_/amazon-smart-home-lockout-update-the-dangers-of-dependence-infighting-and-narratives-hampering-2f11b329776e

> chromebook test
>
> A Local-First Approach is Critical
>
> Separate Alexa Accounts from Amazon Accounts
>
> Recommendations for Consumers
>
> Conclusion

None of this will happen, Skynet (by Amazon©) will become self-aware and we'll all be killed
after being locked out of our government mandated pod shares.

On Friday, June 23, 2023 at 10:48:48 AM UTC-4, Ed Stasiak wrote:
> > chromebook test
> >
> > A Local-First Approach is Critical
> >
> > Separate Alexa Accounts from Amazon Accounts
> >
> > Recommendations for Consumers
> >
> > Conclusion

> None of this will happen, Skynet (by Amazon©) will become self-aware and we'll all be killed
> after being locked out of our government mandated pod shares.

aws cia

aws nsa

tags: mime, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb7-Nzy93m0

Ed Stasiak <edstasiak1067@gmail.com> wrote:

>>chromebook test

>>A Local-First Approach is Critical

>>Separate Alexa Accounts from Amazon Accounts

>>Recommendations for Consumers

>>Conclusion

>None of this will happen, Skynet (by Amazon) will become self-aware and we'll all be killed
>after being locked out of our government mandated pod shares.

Given the discussion of suicide pods in the other thread, the user will
be locked in, not locked out. At the appropriate time, the system will
pump in nitrogen gas.

On Thu, 22 Jun 2023 17:25:03 -0700 (PDT), chromebook test
<chromiumtest56@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 7:31:40?PM UTC-4, BTR1701 wrote:
>> A man found himself locked out of his smart house powered by Amazon
>> because, while he wasn't home, an Amazon delivery driver mistakenly thought
>> he heard a racist remark come from the man's doorbell, reported it to
>> Amazon, and Amazon immediately locked down the account, locking the man out
>> of his home.
>>
>> Here's what the man accused of racism wrote on Medium:
>>
>> "When I connected with the executive, they asked if I knew why my account
>> had been locked. When I answered I was unsure, their tone turned somewhat
>> accusatory. I was told that the driver who had delivered my package
>> reported receiving racist remarks from my Ring doorbell."
>>
>> It turns out that a delivery driver (with headphones on) imagined he heard
>> something racist from the doorbell, but the owner of the house wasn't even
>> home when the event happened. He also had cameras all over the property
>> that showed that he was totally innocent.
>>
>> "I reviewed the footage and confirmed that no such comments had been made.
>> Instead, the Eufy doorbell had issued an automated response: 'Excuse me,
>> can I help you? M' The driver, who was walking away and wearing headphones,
>> must have misinterpreted the message. Nevertheless, by the following day,
>> my Amazon account was locked, and all my Echo devices were logged out,
>> leaving me no ability to unlock my doors and access my home."
>>
>> How insane is this? They locked the man out of his own home from Thursday,
>> May 25, to Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
>>
>> "In the end, my account was unlocked on Wednesday, with no follow-up email
>> to inform me of the resolution."
>>
>> It's 2023 y'all. Corporations can now lock you out of your home and
>> completely shut down your life if they think you're racist.
>>
>> https://notthebee.com/article/amazon-just-locked-a-man-out-of-his-smart-house-because-a-delivery-driver-reported-him-as-a-racist-after-mishearing-something-from-the-doorbell--the-man-wasnt-even-at-home
>
>
>[Amazon Smart Home Lockout Update] The Dangers of Dependence: Infighting and Narratives Hampering Progress
>Brandon Jackson
>Brandon Jackson

Also note that Amazon punished one of the people who broke this story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcohq313q00

NoBody <NoBody@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Jun 2023 17:25:03 -0700 (PDT), chromebook test
> <chromiumtest56@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 7:31:40?PM UTC-4, BTR1701 wrote:
>>> A man found himself locked out of his smart house powered by Amazon
>>> because, while he wasn't home, an Amazon delivery driver mistakenly thought
>>> he heard a racist remark come from the man's doorbell, reported it to
>>> Amazon, and Amazon immediately locked down the account, locking the man out
>>> of his home.
>>>
>>> Here's what the man accused of racism wrote on Medium:
>>>
>>> "When I connected with the executive, they asked if I knew why my account
>>> had been locked. When I answered I was unsure, their tone turned somewhat
>>> accusatory. I was told that the driver who had delivered my package
>>> reported receiving racist remarks from my Ring doorbell."
>>>
>>> It turns out that a delivery driver (with headphones on) imagined he heard
>>> something racist from the doorbell, but the owner of the house wasn't even
>>> home when the event happened. He also had cameras all over the property
>>> that showed that he was totally innocent.
>>>
>>> "I reviewed the footage and confirmed that no such comments had been made.
>>> Instead, the Eufy doorbell had issued an automated response: 'Excuse me,
>>> can I help you? M' The driver, who was walking away and wearing headphones,
>>> must have misinterpreted the message. Nevertheless, by the following day,
>>> my Amazon account was locked, and all my Echo devices were logged out,
>>> leaving me no ability to unlock my doors and access my home."
>>>
>>> How insane is this? They locked the man out of his own home from Thursday,
>>> May 25, to Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
>>>
>>> "In the end, my account was unlocked on Wednesday, with no follow-up email
>>> to inform me of the resolution."
>>>
>>> It's 2023 y'all. Corporations can now lock you out of your home and
>>> completely shut down your life if they think you're racist.
>>>
>>> https://notthebee.com/article/amazon-just-locked-a-man-out-of-his-smart-house-because-a-delivery-driver-reported-him-as-a-racist-after-mishearing-something-from-the-doorbell--the-man-wasnt-even-at-home
>>
>>
>> [Amazon Smart Home Lockout Update] The Dangers of Dependence: Infighting
>> and Narratives Hampering Progress
>> Brandon Jackson
>> Brandon Jackson
>
> Also note that Amazon punished one of the people who broke this story.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcohq313q00
>

Why would Amazon be mad that you were increasing their sales no matter who
it was that you were directing to their website?

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 8:25:07 PM UTC-4, chromebook test wrote:
> On Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 7:31:40 PM UTC-4, BTR1701 wrote:
> > A man found himself locked out of his smart house powered by Amazon
> > because, while he wasn't home, an Amazon delivery driver mistakenly thought
> > he heard a racist remark come from the man's doorbell, reported it to
> > Amazon, and Amazon immediately locked down the account, locking the man out
> > of his home.

> [Amazon Smart Home Lockout Update] The Dangers of Dependence: Infighting and Narratives Hampering Progress
> Brandon Jackson

> Recommendations for Consumers
> If you have a spare laptop or desktop, consider installing Home Assistant..

consider installing Home Assistant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb7-Nzy93m0&t=623s

https://www.home-assistant.io/

On Sat, 24 Jun 2023 14:06:18 -0700, anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net>
wrote:

>NoBody <NoBody@nowhere.com> wrote:
>> On Thu, 22 Jun 2023 17:25:03 -0700 (PDT), chromebook test
>> <chromiumtest56@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 7:31:40?PM UTC-4, BTR1701 wrote:
>>>> A man found himself locked out of his smart house powered by Amazon
>>>> because, while he wasn't home, an Amazon delivery driver mistakenly thought
>>>> he heard a racist remark come from the man's doorbell, reported it to
>>>> Amazon, and Amazon immediately locked down the account, locking the man out
>>>> of his home.
>>>>
>>>> Here's what the man accused of racism wrote on Medium:
>>>>
>>>> "When I connected with the executive, they asked if I knew why my account
>>>> had been locked. When I answered I was unsure, their tone turned somewhat
>>>> accusatory. I was told that the driver who had delivered my package
>>>> reported receiving racist remarks from my Ring doorbell."
>>>>
>>>> It turns out that a delivery driver (with headphones on) imagined he heard
>>>> something racist from the doorbell, but the owner of the house wasn't even
>>>> home when the event happened. He also had cameras all over the property
>>>> that showed that he was totally innocent.
>>>>
>>>> "I reviewed the footage and confirmed that no such comments had been made.
>>>> Instead, the Eufy doorbell had issued an automated response: 'Excuse me,
>>>> can I help you? M' The driver, who was walking away and wearing headphones,
>>>> must have misinterpreted the message. Nevertheless, by the following day,
>>>> my Amazon account was locked, and all my Echo devices were logged out,
>>>> leaving me no ability to unlock my doors and access my home."
>>>>
>>>> How insane is this? They locked the man out of his own home from Thursday,
>>>> May 25, to Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
>>>>
>>>> "In the end, my account was unlocked on Wednesday, with no follow-up email
>>>> to inform me of the resolution."
>>>>
>>>> It's 2023 y'all. Corporations can now lock you out of your home and
>>>> completely shut down your life if they think you're racist.
>>>>
>>>> https://notthebee.com/article/amazon-just-locked-a-man-out-of-his-smart-house-because-a-delivery-driver-reported-him-as-a-racist-after-mishearing-something-from-the-doorbell--the-man-wasnt-even-at-home
>>>
>>>
>>> [Amazon Smart Home Lockout Update] The Dangers of Dependence: Infighting
>>> and Narratives Hampering Progress
>>> Brandon Jackson
>>> Brandon Jackson
>>
>> Also note that Amazon punished one of the people who broke this story.
>>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcohq313q00
>>
>
>Why would Amazon be mad that you were increasing their sales no matter who
>it was that you were directing to their website?

Exactly. They didn't accept his "application" for years yet used this
BS to punish him for talking. Probably much more of this stuff going
on that we don't know about.