Amazon Devices Will Share Your Internet With Your Neighbors Automatically Beginning Today

CBS St. Louis

June 09, 2021

For those using Amazon devices such as those in the Echo or Ring product lines, an important update is coming. Amazon will introduce a new network type called Sidewalk, which allows those devices to piggyback off the WiFi networks of your neighbors and vice versa, without exchanging passwords.
The idea is that if your network goes down, your Ring camera could use your neighbors’ bandwidth to stay connected. The feature has sparked privacy concerns about data on the networks, and Amazon has laid out their privacy and security whitepaper here.

The service will go live on June 8, and anyone with an eligible device can opt out of the network.