Your Amazon Echo is helping build a Wi-Fi network for Amazon right under your nose and you need to make a choice

That’s right, your Amazon Echo will share your Wi-Fi network with your neighbors unless you opt-out of the feature.

The sharing is made possible because of Amazon Sidewalk a feature that according to Amazon, makes devices work better by extending low-range bandwidth to ensure the devices in your home remain online.

For instance, if you and your neighbor have Amazon products and you both haven’t opted out when your neighbor buys a Ring camera the camera can send data via your wi-fi signal.

From Adweek:

Amazon will officially flip the switch on the Sidewalk network on June 8 (June 14 for Tile), at which point all eligible devices will be entered into the program by default, except for those in the homes of users who opted out. Devices slated for connectivity include certain generations of Echo Dot and Show devices, as well as Ring Floodlight and Spotlight cameras (a full list can be found here).

Amazon isn’t the first company to attempt a bandwidth-sharing network along these lines. Comcast Xfinity launched a similar automatic opt-in program in 2014 that allows any of the cable giant’s customers to log into a public network in certain areas, which consists of dedicated portions of other customers’ connections.

Compared to that program, Amazon has provided more notice—it first sent an email alerting customers late last year—and more transparency about security measures. But it still decided to make Sidewalk opt-out-only, choosing not to obtain explicit consent from all participating customers.

Susan Saunders 6/4/21