Amazon unveiled a new tracking system at a time when Americans are debating the value of persistent surveillance.

A Super Bowl ad for Ring security cameras boasting how the company can scan neighborhoods for missing dogs has prompted some customers to remove or even destroy their cameras.

Online, videos of people removing or destroying their Ring cameras have gone viral. One video posted by Seattle-based artist Maggie Butler shows her pulling off her porch-facing camera and flipping it the middle finger.

Butler explained that she originally bought the camera to protect against package thefts, but decided the pet-tracking system raised too many concerns about government access to data.

“They aren’t just tracking lost dogs, they’re tracking you and your neighbors,” Butler said in the video that has more than 3.2 million views.

  • AppleTea@lemmy.zipEnglish
    221·
    24 hours ago

    the other day I heard someone make the point that Amazon is just a more successful Palinteer

    • dil@lemmy.zipEnglish
      4·
      22 hours ago

      I remembee reading they are building a mesh network using all of their devices

      • possum@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        21 hours ago

        Like Apple? Not trying to sound snarky, but they wouldn’t be the first or only ones.

        • dil@lemmy.zipEnglish
          1·
          13 hours ago

          I read this in like 2016/2017, so theyve been at it, using their security cameras, alexas, etc. I remember it was on their website and had a map showing all the world being connected by their devices

    • Axolotl@feddit.itEnglish
      3·
      23 hours ago

      I mean, they have cams around the world, many people address, many other personal data, AWS…

      I wouldn’t say that much more but still