Wifi CANNOT track activities in your home. Or perhaps it can?

[Chock Full o Nuts]

WiFi Motion in the Xfinity app — FAQs

This article provides answers to FAQs about WiFi-based motion sensing.

www.xfinity.com

WiFi Motion uses your Xfinity Gateway and existing WiFi-connected devices in your home to sense motion between the gateway and your selected WiFi-connected devices. When the feature is enabled, you can receive push notifications about activity in your home and enjoy added peace of mind.

WiFi Motion is not a home security service and is not professionally monitored. WiFi Motion is provided to you as part of your Xfinity Internet services and subject to the Xfinity residential services agreement and xfinity.com/privacy/policy.

Didn't read your EULA, cause I don't have you. But no one really read it.

Comcast does not monitor the motion and/or notifications generated by the service.

The placement of your Xfinity Gateway and WiFi connected devices, along with your home size, layout and building materials, can impact the way WiFi signals connect and may limit the ability of the service to detect motion.

So it just stays put on my home network with your router with no firmware updates, and I can receive push notifications on my phone without going through your servers?
Not data scooping my ass.

 

[phoenix2020]

It's unlikely the gateway would locally do the processing necessary to detect such signal strength fluctuations. I wonder how much data they're sending back to Comcast.

Anyhow, this is why I don't use ISP provided wireless gateways.

 

[Stealers Wheel]

I remember awhile back telling my wife that some people suspected ALEXA was monitoring our conversations all the time. She said "That's ridiculous," and she laughed. Then I laughed.

And ALEXA laughed.

 

[Chock Full o Nuts]

It's unlikely the gateway would locally do the processing necessary to detect such signal strength fluctuations. I wonder how much data they're sending back to Comcast.

Anyhow, this is why I don't use ISP provided wireless gateways.

It's guaranteed it's not all local. And it's guaranteed the data is being used at the point you quit reading the EULA.

I'm not really concerned, but come out and say it! Yeah, if I let you in, you know I took a piss. Piss off.

 

[Chock Full o Nuts]

I remember awhile back telling my wife that some people suspected ALEXA was monitoring our conversations all the time. She said "That's ridiculous," and she laughed. Then I laughed.

And ALEXA laughed.

My wife says, "That's weird? 'customer I and we're talking about X yesterday, and I got an email for X?"

No, it's not weird... it's 'knowing you'.

 

[Helix]

If you carry a phone, privacy is over.

 

[NatMorton]

This story is a bit dated now, but it does demonstrate just how all of us as users of internet connected devices become the product.

A few years back I was talking to the head of technology for an insurance company you've probably heard of. A few beers in he told how his company began purchasing data from two sources: Facebook and Google, the folks who make the Nest smart thermostats. They then cross-referenced the two data sets looking for people with the following criteria:

1. Indications from Facebook data that a person that also existed in the Nest data set was on vacation. Geo-location photos indicate this.
2. Time-synced data from Nest thermostat indicating that while on vacation the the person didn't adjust their thermostat (i.e., while away, didn't turn it down in winter or up in summer).

From this the insurance company inferred these people weren't very careful managing home expenses, and they are the homeowners they targeted with price increases.

 

[Chock Full o Nuts]

If you carry a phone, privacy is over.

Pretty much. But I decline and shut off all. No telling at times what the non-tech wife has hit.

You got me with GPS, but I will not talk to my phone or use it as an 'assistant' period. Assist off!

I like pen and paper. And if you need to have a conversation, call me.

 

[multivita-man]

If you carry a phone, privacy is over.

It depends. You can be private, but most people leave it on and leave the features on that track them, and install the apps that track them, too.

 

[Chock Full o Nuts]

It depends. You can be private, but most people leave it on and leave the features on that track them, and install the apps that track them, too.

You mean you don't agree to everything on a Windows PC for 'user experience'?

I use it. And don't need an experience to use it.

 

[bythoughts]

Look up beamforming. Those fancy 5G phones are scanning your whole apartment like a radar that can detect people and other objects of interest. There is considerable effort in the sources I'm finding not to talk about this potential, but it is obvious that a system that needs to change how it beams a signal in order to avoid being blocked by your body, knows where your body is. The overall research in beamforming suggests it can know a lot more.

 

[Stealers Wheel]

This may sound contrarian, but I puposely turned the "Track me" feature on my phone ON for two reasons:

1. It is evidence that I was NOT where they accused me of being.

2. It gives the authorities and my family a place to start looking should I ever be missing.

 

[Chock Full o Nuts]

This may sound contrarian, but I puposely turned the "Track me" feature on my phone ON for two reasons:

1. It is evidence that I was NOT where they accused me of being.

2. It gives the authorities and my family a place to start looking should I ever be missing.

I'm all good with that. Out and about in the world, fine.
There are pluses to it.

As far as tracking movement and activities in the home, no thanks.

 

[What if...?]

If you carry a phone, privacy is over.

The good thing is that all it takes now to disappear is drop your phone in the backseat of a nearby convertible.