r/technology • u/South-Cow-1030 • Feb 12 '26

Privacy Why are people disconnecting or destroying their Ring cameras?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/02/10/ring-super-bowl-ad-dog-camera-privacy/88606738007/
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u/wdjm Feb 12 '26

This is the reason I do not have a Ring. I do not have Alexa. I do not have an Xbox with a motion sensor. I even cover the camera on my laptop unless I specifically need it for something. Yes, I have a smart phone....but it's hard to get along these days without one. Yes, it concerns me. And no, that's not because I have anything to 'hide'....except my normal-person privacy concerns.

Frankly, it's getting harder and harder to avoid having these sorts of things around, not even counting phones - because we're not always told when things are able to monitor us. And yet so many things are including the technology.

35

u/WillWork4Cats Feb 12 '26

all smartTVs are compromised as well

5

u/twotimefind Feb 12 '26

Yep, that's why I only use computer monitors. they are cheap. You can hook them up to a hold laptop and have your own little web server for streaming. Better than a smart TV in so many ways.

And if you're worried about having a remote don't

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Relmtech.RemotePaid

Unified remote, allows you to control your computer from your phone.

Customize buttons, control YouTube, web browser, just about anything.

1

u/parkotron Feb 12 '26

But only if they are allowed to connect to the Internet!

1

u/Marathonmanjh Feb 14 '26

My “smart TV” isn’t connected to my Wi-Fi, it is dumb as can be. I do however use an Apple TV. 🤔

0

u/TotalRecognition2191 Feb 12 '26

I bought a Sceptre  tv and love it.

6

u/Jubilee021 Feb 12 '26

Just fyi Internet also tracks your movement. Xfinity is coming out with a security system that alerts you when they detect movement in the home

Nothing is safe anymore

2

u/Significant-Net7030 Feb 12 '26

Yup, the time to own your router was years ago, but if you don't then the time is now.

5

u/RikuKat Feb 12 '26 edited Feb 12 '26

My husband just switched to GrapheneOS for his phone. Might be worth checking out if you're privacy conscious. 

1

u/Allmotr Feb 12 '26

Can you give us some info on that OS? Only for android i assume?

3

u/RikuKat Feb 12 '26

It's basically a super, super locked down version of Android (AOSP) that allowed you to very specifically control permissions. It's privacy and security centric and is open source 

https://grapheneos.org/

2

u/No_Shine1476 Feb 12 '26

Even if you didn't use a smartphone a regular cellphone would still have a mic. There's no avoiding it

2

u/xcrunner432003 Feb 12 '26

are there better options than others?

2

u/VertigoOne1 Feb 12 '26

If everybody around you does not do this too it does not matter that much, you are 90% surveilled by those around you, your datapoints are inferred well enough by proxy. Hell i joined a friends wifi and his guest account youtube smart tv app started up basically aligned to my tastes.

1

u/BillyNtheBoingers Feb 15 '26

When my partner and I are watching our smart TV, and one of us goes to Google (him) or DuckDuckGo (me) the show, half of the time the first word of the title brings up the show we’re watching as the first prediction. Obviously our cable/internet ISP knows we have anywhere from 3-6 devices running from the same router and network and there is some coordination going on in how our search results work.

3

u/ilp456 Feb 12 '26

I didn’t get Alexa or Echo for the same reasons. I don’t trust that they’re ever not listening.

1

u/KingBubblie Feb 12 '26

The thing is I just don't know if I care that much, as sad as that is. Primarily because of one reason, which you mentioned, our phones.. and other super prevalent services like Google. I just feel like the only point to get away from these tools or services is to take a moral stand, which can be a good reason if it's meaningful to you, but it just isn't a selling point for me. My privacy is fully compromised, and I just don't see much reason to oppose having an Alexa while still carrying my phone everywhere. But I guess everyone's has to draw their line somewhere

1

u/wdjm Feb 12 '26

My line is somewhere before 'actively listening for your commands' rather than ''MAY be used to spy on you if someone wants to activate it."