Government can access your connected home data

This is scary !!!

Where does ST stand on this ?
They have all the data , when I come home , which doors are open/closed.
When I sleep wakeup etc etc…

If you see logs in the app, it is tremendous data going out of my hub to ST.

ST,

how long you store this data ?

What you are planning to do with this data ?

Do we have ability to DELETE this data completely ?

What is your policy to share this information with agencies ?

Do you plan to sell this data ?

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I’m more concerned with preventing illegal access from someone messing with my devices. That would creep me out.

Otherwise supenas and warrents are no different for home automation than other low tech or high tech data.

I’ll disagree on one part @beckwith. If you’ve got security cameras hooked up to HA and there is a remote server that is accessing/storing this data, that could be a little off putting. It’s one thing to subpoena my electrical usage or even when my doors open/close. This isn’t much different than getting my phone records which can establish habits or even who I’ve contacted. But if police can subpoena pictures/video from inside my house… potentially without my knowledge, I’d be a little upset.

As one example… remember those commercials where someone walks in on a relatively benign situations that looks really bad? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7cUYVviK50) Let’s say that my kids and I are rough housing… playing around. But certain stills taken at just the wrong time make it look like I’m beating my kids. That same night there’s reports of a suspicious person in my neighborhood, so the police subpoena records from any security cameras in the area. My house gets tossed in with the rest and my HA company, instead of isolating just exterior security cameras, sends all my pictures… including that one still shot with my hand raised and my child screaming (in delight) as she falls down.

Now I have social services knocking at my door.

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I believe that would require probable cause and a warrent. Regardless, your point is well taken. The data can be abused by over zealot government officials who disregard your rights.

Generally I’m not one who is overtly paranoid about these sort of things. I know there’s the chance for abuse and I know there are horror stories out there, but usually I think these sorts of abuses are rare and the exception, not the norm.

That said, I do get a bit nervous with the idea of giving too much info from inside my house without my consent.

I’d like to see SmartThings have as part of their user agreement that any request for information from LEO would require a formal warrant or subpoena and also that ST, as policy, would notify users of any request from LEO.

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This has been brought up before in a past post.

I think this is inline with other major companies in our space and takes a few steps further to help alleviate anxiety about privacy and security. We are certainly open to feedback and are sure it will continue to evolve.

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Can you periodically divulge how often information is requested and turned over to governmental bodies? I’ve seen others do that.

We’d need to come up with a policy, but I like it in theory. To date: 0 times.

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Nice… so they haven’t caught on yet to my acti----, er, I mean… um, carry on!

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Is that why there are a lot of bright lights coming from your basement window? :smile: