4 ms·

A Roomba recorded a woman on the toilet. How did screenshots end up on Facebook? (2022)

38 points by rmason 3mo ago

fn-mote 3mo ago
(2022) I can only imagine what it’s like now.
- brikym 3mo ago
  2024: Some walkie talkies have explosive devices inside them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Lebanon_electronic_device_attacks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Lebanon_electronic_device... 2025: Some solar inverters have backdoors to inject chaos into the grid. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/ https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-... 2026: Robot dogs used by the police have a phone home connection that hides itself when it detects someone is observing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA8WuXDXfcI&t=39s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA8WuXDXfcI&t=39s Yarbo lawn mowers found with backdoor: https://www.theverge.com/tech/928289/yarbo-remove-robot-lawn-mower-backdoor https://www.theverge.com/tech/928289/yarbo-remove-robot-lawn...
RetroTechie 3mo ago
Article spends many words on [training during product development] and few words on [security issues with devices sold to consumers]. Risks are the exact opposite. 'Guinea pigs' in this case were company employees, who at least gave permission to be recorded. And aware of that. Consumers often don't give such permission (or are tricked into that), may not be aware of a device's capabilities, and post-sale firmware security is often weak to non-existent. That is the bigger risk. I don't understand why so many devices 'need' 24/7 internet connectivity. In this example: do the training. Product works? Ship to consumers with connectivity disabled. Updated firmware available? Plug in USB stick a few times a year. Or have consumer push a "connect" service button, device downloads new firmware & disconnects. Why provide a 24/7 playground for hackers/bots etc? Yeah I know companies selling these things have many reasons. But security-wise it makes no sense.
- N19PEDL2 3mo ago
  Not saying this is the case of Roomba, but often devices need 24/7 Internet connectivity so that their manufacturers can sell traffic through their owner’s network. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48174465 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48174465
- motbus3 3mo ago
  Well. Tricked is one word. They sell you a device with a wibbly-wobbly Terms of Service that will stop you from using the thing you bought if you don't agree with whatever is in there. And that does not even count the fact that they INTENTIONALLY make it long and unreadable for most users and try to put it on the most inconvenient place and time so you accept it to keep life going.
deleted 3mo ago
[deleted]
ChrisArchitect 3mo ago
(2022) OP Some discussion then: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34057699 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34057699

38 points by rmason 3mo ago

fn-mote 3mo ago

(2022) I can only imagine what it’s like now.

brikym 3mo ago
2024: Some walkie talkies have explosive devices inside them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Lebanon_electronic_device_attacks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Lebanon_electronic_device... 2025: Some solar inverters have backdoors to inject chaos into the grid. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/ https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-... 2026: Robot dogs used by the police have a phone home connection that hides itself when it detects someone is observing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA8WuXDXfcI&t=39s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA8WuXDXfcI&t=39s Yarbo lawn mowers found with backdoor: https://www.theverge.com/tech/928289/yarbo-remove-robot-lawn-mower-backdoor https://www.theverge.com/tech/928289/yarbo-remove-robot-lawn...

RetroTechie 3mo ago

Article spends many words on [training during product development] and few words on [security issues with devices sold to consumers]. Risks are the exact opposite. 'Guinea pigs' in this case were company employees, who at least gave permission to be recorded. And aware of that. Consumers often don't give such permission (or are tricked into that), may not be aware of a device's capabilities, and post-sale firmware security is often weak to non-existent. That is the bigger risk. I don't understand why so many devices 'need' 24/7 internet connectivity. In this example: do the training. Product works? Ship to consumers with connectivity disabled. Updated firmware available? Plug in USB stick a few times a year. Or have consumer push a "connect" service button, device downloads new firmware & disconnects. Why provide a 24/7 playground for hackers/bots etc? Yeah I know companies selling these things have many reasons. But security-wise it makes no sense.

N19PEDL2 3mo ago
Not saying this is the case of Roomba, but often devices need 24/7 Internet connectivity so that their manufacturers can sell traffic through their owner’s network. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48174465 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48174465
motbus3 3mo ago
Well. Tricked is one word. They sell you a device with a wibbly-wobbly Terms of Service that will stop you from using the thing you bought if you don't agree with whatever is in there. And that does not even count the fact that they INTENTIONALLY make it long and unreadable for most users and try to put it on the most inconvenient place and time so you accept it to keep life going.

deleted 3mo ago

[deleted]

ChrisArchitect 3mo ago

(2022) OP Some discussion then: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34057699 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34057699