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submitted 13 hours ago by TheIPW@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

Mainstream tech advice treats cheap Wi-Fi smart plugs as harmless convenience, totally glossing over how much telemetry leaks out to overseas cloud servers by default.

Expecting casual users to set up VLANs and firewall drop rules just to stop a £10 light bulb from phoning home is a bit of a joke.

True privacy means local control without corporate middlemen.


Original content by The Unknown Universe, written by a human and not AI generated!

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[-] jjlinux@lemmy.zip 8 points 10 hours ago

I believe that you are both correct. 8 to 10 years ago I realized how much data these companies and governments gather about me, and it scared the shit out of me. I was not aware before that, so I had Alexas all over my house, smart devices, a Samsung SmartThings, the works.

Then my slow walk to privacy started. My home is fully automated now, down to the sprinklers, but it's all via Home Assistant, frigate for my cameras (inside home assistant), not one of my IoT devices has access to the internet, they live in an isolated VLAN, and I haven't had any mainstream social network account or WhatsApp for over 8 years now.

The fact is that a lot people don't care because they don't know, like me back then, but finally knowing is what jump-started this path.

I do agree that there's no helping someone that doesn't want help, that's a hard fact, but if we do move this information around, we stand to "cure a few normies" along the way.

[-] Auli@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 hours ago

I knew and I didn't care still don't about some things. And I know others who have an idea but don't care. I'd say right now I'm more anti american then anything else aobtrying to move away from their companies.

[-] jjlinux@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

American companies are, easily, 90%+ of this shit, so I think you're on the right path.

[-] CameronDev@programming.dev 1 points 22 minutes ago

Smart home stuff is dominated by Tuya, which is Chinese. Even a lot of the american branded stuff is Tuya rebranded. Phillips hue is Netherlands based, and from a quick look isn't tuya. IKEA is also not tuya. The rest, I would basically guarantee are all tuya based.

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago

Holy shit. I didn't know it was possible to acknowledge more than one perspective. You just blew my mind, man.

Kidding. Thank you for actually thinking non-binarily

this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2026
118 points (99.2% liked)

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