Amazon Echo Owners Irked by Default Enabling of Sidewalk Before Launch

Sidewalk, Amazon's low-bandwidth network enabler, isn't yet live even as Echo smart speaker users saw the feature activated by default on the Alexa app beginning in late November. “We started notifying existing Echo customers with eligible Echo devices that their devices will be a part of Sidewalk and how they can change their preferences before the feature turns on,” an Amazon spokesperson emailed. Customers can update their Sidewalk preferences, including turning off the feature, during device setup or anytime in the Alexa app settings, the spokesperson said.

Amazon calls Sidewalk a shared network that “helps devices work better.” The website describes it as “operated by Amazon at no charge to customers” and as a means to simplify new device setup, extend the low-bandwidth working range of devices and help devices stay online “even if they are outside the range of their home wifi.”

As for what it means to have Sidewalk enabled, the spokesperson said: “If your Echo device loses its wifi connection, Sidewalk can simplify reconnecting to your router. Sidewalk can also extend the working range for your Sidewalk-enabled devices, such as Ring smart lights, pet locators or smart locks.”

Reactions on Twitter to the auto-enabling of Sidewalk were predictably skeptical, fueled by articles from Gizmodo and others telling Echo users to opt out of the feature, after Amazon emailed users that Sidewalk is “coming soon.” User @Antoninohboy tweeted: “love when Amazon turns my echo into a public mesh network without asking consent and can’t even be bothered to format the feature description.” @Marasaidso said: "The option, by default, should be to opt in, not opt out!”

Gizmodo urged customers to disable the feature “as soon as possible.” The author cited previous privacy and security issues with Amazon products: Gizmodo was able to map Amazon’s home surveillance network, revealing possible locations of “tens of thousands” of Ring cameras across 15 U.S. cities via the Neighbors app; it found instances of hackers breaking into Ring cameras; Amazon didn’t explicitly state in its privacy policy that humans may listen to voice recordings collected by Echo devices; and reports an Echo device had recorded a private conversation of a Portland, Oregon, couple and sent it to a colleague due to misinterpreted background noise.

Twitter users expressed concerns over security. @Justindemuro tweeted: “This just seems like a bad idea. Shared internet through Amazon devices (like Echo and Ring) between devices of different owners. The utility sounds great, but the security risks are not worth it.”

Commenting on whether neighbors would have access to our Wi-Fi network if Sidewalk is enabled, the Amazon spokesperson said, “Neighbors will not have access to your Wi-Fi network." By enabling Sidewalk, users "can contribute a small portion" of internet bandwidth that is pooled "to create a shared network that benefits all Sidewalk-enabled devices in a community. Amazon Sidewalk uses Bluetooth, the 900 MHz spectrum and other frequencies to extend coverage and provide these benefits.”

On whether neighbors would have access to our Echo, he referred to Amazon messaging that “preserving customer privacy and security is foundational to how we’ve built Amazon Sidewalk.” Sidewalk is designed with “multiple layers of privacy and security to secure data traveling on the network and to keep customers safe and in control.” He said owners of Sidewalk Bridge products -- Echo speakers and other devices found here -- “do not receive any information about devices owned by others connected to Sidewalk." He highlighted several security features and referred us to Amazon’s 13-page Sidewalk privacy and security white paper.

Among protections, Sidewalk has three layers of encryption to secure data traveling on the network; Amazon requires the same encryption standards for all third-party applications on Sidewalk to prevent unauthorized access to packet contents; routing information “that Amazon does receive for operating the network components of Sidewalk is automatically cleared every 24 hours”; customers with bridges are prevented from viewing the data from other customers’ Sidewalk-enabled devices; and one-way hashing keys, cryptographic algorithms and rotating device IDs minimize data tied to customers.

On Amazon’s vision for Sidewalk, the spokesperson said it will support “a range of experiences from using Sidewalk-enabled devices to help find pets or valuables, to smart security and lighting, to diagnostics for appliances and tools.”