Amazon Sidewalk Taps Into Private Internet Connections, Alleges Class Action Lawsuit

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Amazon, the company already accused of eavesdropping using its artificially intelligent Alexa devices, is now facing a class action lawsuit alleging it is also stealing Internet bandwith from consumers. In a class action lawsuit filed Thursday in Washington federal court, a Florida couple claims that Amazon is using “Sidewalk” devices, such as the Echo and Ring, to create a massive, shared network — at the expense of consumers.  

Lead plaintiffs, Mary and Matthew Street want to represent a nationwide Class of consumers with Amazon Sidewalk devices. They accuse the global retail and tech giant of “building an unprecedented national wireless network but making its consumers foot the bill” with Sidewalk enabled devices that tap into and share consumers’ private Internet connections.  

The Streets say they purchased Amazon Echo smart speakers in 2018 that came with the Sidewalk network. They say that starting on June 8, 2020, these devices were automatically connected into their Internet connections by Amazon, siphoning off bandwidth to support sharing between other Sidewalk devices.  

The plaintiffs say that Amazon turned on Sidewalk without their express consent. They say Sidewalk increases the risk that their and other consumers’ personal information will be hacked.  

“Embedded within Sidewalk Devices is a technology that enables those Sidewalk Devices to connect to other Echo and Ring devices nearby through their Bluetooth connections, creating a new, shared network,” explains the class action lawsuit. “Together, these connections create a stronger ‘mesh’ network with long-range connectivity that would otherwise be expensive to create.” 

The class action lawsuit claims that the following Amazon devices come with the Sidewalk network: 

• Ring Floodlight Cam (2019) 
• Ring Spotlight Cam Wired (2019) 
• Ring Spotlight Cam Mount (2019) 
• Echo (3rd Gen and newer) 
• Echo Dot (3rd Gen and newer) for Kids 
• Echo Dot with Clock (3rd Gen and newer) 
• Echo Plus (All generations) 
• Echo Show (2nd Gen and newer) 
• Echo Spot 
• Echo Studio 
• Echo Input 
• Echo Flex 

The plaintiffs allege that, on June 8, 2020, Amazon turned the Sidewalk feature on without obtaining the consent of those who own affected devices. Instead, consumers must go through an opt-out process. Further, if a consumer buys a new Amazon Sidewalk device, it will be enabled automatically unless the owner opts-out again.  

Currently, Amazon Sidewalk devices use 500 megabytes of Internet bandwidth, but the class action lawsuit alleges that the amount can be increased by the company at any time. The Streets claim that they and other consumers pay Comcast and other providers for Internet service which Amazon is now using for free.  

“The cost to Amazon to implement an independent Sidewalk network that did not utilize customer-owned devices would be enormous and may not even be possible,” point out the plaintiffs.  

The Streets want to represent other consumers with Amazon Sidewalk devices. They accuse the company of violating Washington consumer protection law, theft of telecommunication services, and unjust enrichment.  

The class action lawsuit wants to put a stop to Amazon’s free use of consumers’ Internet using its Sidewalk devices, along with payment of damages, attorney, and court fees.  

Do you own an Amazon Sidewalk enabled device? Are you concerned about sharing your private internet connection? Tell us about it in the comment section below! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Jason T. Dennett and Rebecca L. Solomon of Tousley Brain Stephens PLCC, Brad R. Sohn of The Brad R. Sohn, and Graham B. LippSmith, MaryBeth LippSmith, and Jaclyn L. Anderson of Lippsmoth, LLP.  

The Amazon Sidewalk Class Action Lawsuit is Street v. Amazon.com Services, Inc., et al., Case No. 2:21-cv-00912 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.  

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