this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2025
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An engineer discovered that the manufacturer can remotely brick his smart vacuum for not collecting data.

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[–] frunch@lemmy.world 45 points 1 month ago (3 children)

It doesn't appear that anything is being done about this. I imagine there are many more devices pulling similar shit (sending personal data they collect back to their data centers without consent)... It just bothers me that there's doesn't seem to be any pushback whatsoever in cases like this. Not that i need or use a robot vac but I'm sure this type of data collection is hardly limited to them

[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 28 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Even worse still, if you don’t allow them this intrusive data, they remotely brick the device you own.

[–] SmackemWittadic@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There needs to be a law stating companies MUST notify you that "this product won't work if data collection is disabled" on the outside of the box

[–] PolarKraken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Lol sure, "let them do whatever they want but it should be ILLEGAL not to write it on the box!"

[–] SmackemWittadic@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

No no, I absolutely agree that shit like this shouldn't be allowed in the first place. But the issue is most people I've met genuinely do not care. They are okay with the amount of data being collected by their corporate overlords.

At the very least stating that a product won't work if it isn't connected to the internet allows consumers who do give a shit to know what type of product they're dealing with.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Corporate execs ought to go to prison for that.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 4 points 1 month ago

s/prison/the guillotine/

[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It doesn’t appear that anything is being done about this.

Something has already been done about this: https://valetudo.cloud/

The "iLife" robot in the article is based on the 3irobotix CRL-200S, a "white label" unit that a bunch of brands sold as their own, up to and including Xiaomi, Viomi, Conga, Cecotec, Proscenic, and even Wyze. I have the Wyze version (the only one sold in the US), which will be getting Valetudo, but I kinda bricked it while attempting to root it. Luckily the motherboards are cheap, I picked up a "new" one for $15. Just waiting for it to show up.

[–] tomiant@programming.dev 1 points 1 month ago

It's a tidal wave. It's very hard to stop. The wave consists of about a trillion variables all pointing in the wrong direction.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 25 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] bigboitricky@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

iAmYourLife

[–] Fontasia@feddit.nl 6 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Why didn't he just use DNS spoofing?

[–] JustJack23@slrpnk.net 26 points 1 month ago (2 children)

"we didn't do it because it was easy, but because we though it would be easy"

[–] SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social 9 points 1 month ago

And then we got angry because it didn't work and worked on it until 3am.

[–] bigboitricky@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] JustJack23@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Is it from there, I got it from r/programmerHumor (equally as destiguished imo /s)

[–] tomiant@programming.dev 5 points 1 month ago
[–] transientpunk@sh.itjust.works 25 points 1 month ago

Why do it the easy way, when you can do it the fun way?

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 9 points 1 month ago

To quote the inventor of the Steam Brick:

Because I was so preoccupied with whether or not I could that I didn't stop to think if I should.

[–] tomiant@programming.dev 5 points 1 month ago

Kill who? Thats my question.

[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 month ago

Hey, it was my turn for the repost!