Amazon’s information leaking app also controls Ring devices
If you’ve got a Ring, and use the Android app (and probably the iPhone app although it wasn’t mentioned,) your identifiable information is being sent out to at least four information and marketing companies according to a report published by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Information is delivered to four advertisers, one of which is Facebook. Whether or not you have Facebook, Facebook has you. So do four other companies.
It appears there enough information passed to track you through at least resetting an advertiser ID if not a factory reset (device_fingerprint_id and hardware_id).
Why you should care
While most of this may fall under the “I don’t believe there actually is privacy” subheading, or perhaps “I actually like the more targeted advertising,” the information is exploitable by other parties.
Now, I doubt we’re going to see a targeted advertisement placed by thieves for, let’s say a free Denny’s meal at 8am-9am being shown to Ring customers in a certain area, or a link in the advertisement that tracks based on the device_fingerprint_id in order to ensure they’re out collecting on a freebie promotion that tells the advertiser when the promo is being redeemed / their house is empty, but that’s a potential capability when you send identifiable information out.
So yeah. Not only is your Ring video being accessed by parties you haven’t any control over, your personal data’s going out as well. Oh yeah, you’re also paying for this privilege.
[eff]
