Update on Bonniebots

 

 Of our article on the Bonniebots on Friday, there were two responses. One lengthy one from an anonymous reader felt there was little if anything to worry about, "I have to say the bots seem benign, maybe even beneficial ... after having spoken with the creator and the lengths they go through to keep the data benign I have to say their activity appears to be more responsible than most bot operators, the bots even now provide links to show what their doing, when I first encountered them, they may of been in the testing phase, but they offer no data that isn't easily obtained within SL beyond showing where they've last seen people at ... I think the only reason these bots attract so much ire is because they don't hide the fact they have the same origin by giving them diversely different names which gives haters a clear target making them a little harder to dismiss as random. ...the data they collect is publicly available and easy to collect and isn't anything newly generated that breaches actual privacy unlike that trash from ... zfire and Monkey."

 

Nydia Tungsten's response was shorter, feeling there had to be some changes, "They should leave the Avatar search off and let people Opt IN, there will be a lot of people that have no clue about this. But MY main concern as someone that owns multiple sims is I would LIKE to see a way to opt my sims out completely. I am getting so very tired of bots popping in when and where ever in residential area's. Granted this could be a boon for business areas and more power to them, me, I detest all bots and want them to stay out of my sims period."

Since our article, there's been two changes. Early this week, the Bonniebot website now had an "About" page, at https://www.bonniebots.com/about . There were four sections: Bonnie, FAQ API, and Opt Out. Opt Out gave the following, "To opt-out, send an in-world message to bonniebelle86 containing the phrase 'opt-out'. The opt-out applies to Top Merchants and Avatar Search." At the bottom of the page are the names of the Bonniebots.

 

The FAQ page had questions such as "What data is being collected?" "How do I prevent Bonniebots from visiting my region?" "Do other people have databases like this?" and others, and when clicked in would reveal an answer. 

Later in the week, the Search page was gone. So people could no longer search for information on certain avatars, at least within the website (searching inworld is still very much fair game). So those who complained about that no longer have to worry about it. 

In the meantime, the Bonniebots, and their less visible counterparts, are still going about their business, hopping around the Grid and collecting information. But unlike other bots, it's as simple as going to a website to look up the Bonniebots' names so you can block them from your land.

Bixyl Shuftan

Amazon To Link Users of Alexa, Other Devices, To One Another

 

For those who own an Alexa, or other devices by Amazon that you use, an article in Ars Technica has some troubling news for those who value their privacy, and don't like the company getting them into something without their okay. According to the e-zine, Amazon plans to launch "Amazon Sidewalk." The service will link those who use Amazon products to their neighbors who also use them and share their bandwith for the purpose of helping those without a connection. But instead of asking users if they want in, people have to actively opt out of it before the date of Tuesday June 8, one week from now.

Amazon Sidewalk helps your devices get connected and stay connected. For example, if your Echo device loses its wifi connection, Sidewalk can simplify reconnecting to your router. For select Ring devices, you can continue to receive motion alerts from your Ring Security Cams and customer support can still troubleshoot problems even if your devices lose their wifi connection. Sidewalk can also extend the working range for your Sidewalk-enabled devices, such as Ring smart lights, pet locators or smart locks, so they can stay connected and continue to work over longer distances. Amazon does not charge any fees to join Sidewalk.

Amazon insists the service is to help the users of it's devices. They also released a report to address security and privacy matters.  But as Ars Technia put it, "But there are enough theoretical risks to give users pause. Wireless technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have a history of being insecure. ... If industry-standard wireless technologies have such a poor track record, why are we to believe a proprietary wireless scheme will have one that’s any better? ... Extending the reach of all this encrypted data to the sidewalk and living rooms of neighbors requires a level of confidence that’s not warranted for a technology that’s never seen widespread testing. ... Amazon’s decision to make Sidewalk an opt-out service rather than an opt-in one is also telling. The company knows the only chance of the service gaining critical mass is to turn it on by default, so that’s what it’s doing."

The good news, users can opt out of "Sidewalk." The steps are:

Open the Alexa app.
Open "More" and select "Settings."
Select "Account Settings."
Select "Amazon Sidewalk."
Turn Amazon Sidewalk "Off."

Ars Technica stated they contacted Amazon representatives to comment on the matter, but got none.

Bixyl Shuftan