Why I Remain a Skeptic Despite Working in Tech

Dumb TVs for all!
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One thing that often surprises my friends and family is how tech-avoidant I am. I don't have the latest gadget, I talk about dumb TVs, and Siri isn't activated on my iPhone. The only thing left is to go to the kitchen, take a sheet of tin foil, and mold it into a hat.

To put it simply, I avoid tech when I can.

The main reason for my skepticism is that I don't like tracking technology. I can't stop it, I can't avoid it entirely, but I will try as much as I can.

Take electric cars, for example. I get excited to see new models rolling out. But over-the-air updates freak me out. Why? Because I'm not the one in control of them.

Modern cars now receive software updates wirelessly, similar to smartphones. These over-the-air updates can modify everything from infotainment systems to critical driving functions like powertrain systems, brakes, and advanced driver assistance systems. While this technology offers convenience, it also introduces security concerns, hackers could potentially gain remote access to vehicle systems. The possibility for a hostile take over went from 0 to 1.

I buy things from Amazon. It's extremely convenient. But I don't feel comfortable having a microphone constantly listening. They may say that they don't listen to conversations, but you can't respond to a command without listening. It does use some trigger words to activate, but they still occasionally accidentally activate and start recording.

Amazon acknowledges that it employs thousands of people worldwide to listen to Alexa voice recordings and transcribe them to improve the AI's capabilities. In 2023, the FTC fined Amazon $31 million for violating children's privacy laws by keeping kids' Alexa voice recordings indefinitely and undermining parents' deletion requests.

The same thing with Siri. Apple likes to brag about their privacy features, but they still paid $95 million in a Siri eavesdropping settlement.

Vizio TVs take screenshots from 11 million smart TVs and sell viewing data to third parties without users' knowledge or consent. The data is bundled with personal information including sex, age, income, marital status, household size, education level, and home value, then sold to advertisers. The FTC fined Vizio $2.2 million in 2017, but by then the damage was done.

This technology isn't limited to Vizio. Most smart TV manufacturers use similar tracking. ACR can analyze exactly what's on your screen regardless of source, meaning your TV knows when you're playing video games, watching Blu-rays, or even casting home movies from your phone.

In 2023, Tesla faced a class action lawsuit after reports revealed that employees shared private photos and videos from customer vehicle cameras between 2019 and 2022. The content included private footage from inside customers' garages. One video that circulated among employees showed a Tesla hitting a child on a bike.

Tesla's privacy notice states that "camera recordings remain anonymous and are not linked to you or your vehicle," yet employees clearly had access to identify and share specific footage.

Amazon links every Alexa interaction to your account and uses the data to profile you for targeted advertising. While Vizio was ordered to delete the data it collected, the court couldn't force third parties who purchased the data to delete it. Once your data is out there, you've lost control of it forever.

For me, a technological device that I own should belong to me, and me only. But for some reason, as soon as we add the internet to any device, it stops belonging to us.

The promise of smart technology is convenience and innovation. The reality is surveillance and monetization. Our viewing habits, conversations, and driving patterns are products being sold without our meaningful consent. I love tech, and I love solving problems. But as long as I don't have control of the devices I use, I'll remain a tech skeptic. One who works from the inside, hoping to build better solutions.

The industry needs people who question these practices, who push back against normalized surveillance, and who remember that technology should serve users, not exploit them. Until then, I'll keep my TV dumb, my Siri disabled, and be the annoying family member who won't join your facebook group.

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