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  • 18 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 2nd, 2023

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  • Yeah. What the hell were the plaintiffs supposed to do? How do you get proof of something like this? Break into an exec’s office? Hack an auto manufacturer’s network?

    Oh, wait a sec. Evidence that’s acquired illegally generally isn’t admissible. So even those ridiculous plans wouldn’t work. I guess the best we can do is wait until the harm is done, and then hope there’s a sloppy enough paper trail to unequivocally prove exactly who did it.

    Apparently, that’s MUCH better than using some common sense.

    An auto manufacturer, who has no business snooping on your texts in the first place, should not have permission to keep copies of them. Ever. It’s an absurdly obvious question. The plaintiffs shouldn’t have to prove they’ve been harmed. The auto manufacturers should have to prove that their intentions benefit all customers, AND that those benefits outweigh the risks.

    And no, advertising that’s specifically targeted at my perceived needs and interests doesn’t count as a “benefit”. Sorry not sorry.


  • I’m going to assume this judge hasn’t been unduly influenced.

    This looks like a classic case of following the letter of the law, while ignoring the spirit of the law. The law seems like it’s intended to punish harmful violations of privacy. No reasonable person can conclude that the sale of tens (or hundreds) of thousands of people’s private data is entirely harmless, but that’s what this judge did.

    US courts often take “reasonable” assumptions into account when making judgments or issuing sentences. Just because the plaintiffs couldn’t actually prove specific damage is no reason to assume it didn’t/won’t happen.









  • I think you answered your own question. You’ve only got one pro, with a qualification, and four cons.

    You can’t rely on people to use downvotes as intended. Even if you put it in the site or community rules, a lot of people won’t read those rules. Of those that do, many won’t care.

    If someone really doesn’t like something, they can leave a comment. If they won’t do that, what useful information are you going to get from a mere downvote?

    Upvotes alone are enough.






  • I think you hit the biggest ones. I imagine that even the most “affordable” robots will still be very expensive, and even the most useful and adaptable ones will still be remarkably stupid. They won’t be nearly as useful as they’ll undoubtedly be advertised.

    The privacy issue you mention is interesting. As we’ve seen with online services, companies will do everything they can to gather as much personal information as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if the robot (or perhaps the server it connects to) uses OCR to read things like book titles on your shelf, item brands (like food, clothing, and electronics) or prescription drug labels. I assume that the manufacturer will require an internet connection for the robot to even operate. Expect the loose privacy requirements in the US to continue favoring companies over the public.

    Some of us are used to having microphones, and even active cameras, in our home. What makes a robot unique is that it could move itself, or be moved by someone with unauthorized access, or perhaps a law enforcement agency.