Warning: new lan discovery feature in 2.3 (thread closed by ST)

All, there is a new “feature” in the latest mobile app version 2.3.

It is not stated up front, but this new lan discovery automatically adds all discovered devices without the ability to exclude them.

Even after you manually remove something it discovers, simply going back into add a device will add it back in.

Why is this an issue?

Well, smartthings logs everything immediately and you may not be aware a device it quietly added in the background is now logging all its usage to the cloud without your knowledge.

This should be made much more clear to end users and should allow you to add the devices or exclude them, instead they opted to add them all automatically.

Just my two cents.

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This is an absolutely terrible idea by ST. Someone wants to snoop so all they have to do is basically HA-Drive near your house, attach to your ST and grab a little too much info. Sheesh.

This seems a bit far fetched… they would need to plug the ST hub into your network to get anything… and once they did they might get light bulb statuses, what you listed on Sonos, and so on… pretty boring stuff to spy on but likely to expand…

Privacy is important but I am not alarmed by this type of data leaking… when your credit card company and cell phone company can create very accurate profiles of where you are and who you are. THAT is likely a much more significant invasion of privacy.

…but it is good to keep ST on their toes so that protecting privacy is always on their minds :wink:

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So, do I understand correctly that if I have a Philips Hue on my LAN that I have no intension connecting to SmartThings, it will add it automatically to my Things?

I am. I did not sign up for ST to run discoveries on my network without my autorization and it make me nervous. I should decide what is put into ST and not ST auto-discovering my network so that it can randomly add devices. What potential holes does this open on the backend for hacking? IOT security is not really that tight and now another potential way in either by St or outside actors.

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Yes. Absolutely. Well hue does require pressing the button at least once. But wemo, Sonos, etc will be added without opt in…

Screw this, man! I believe SmartThings has no business snooping on my home network unless I specifically authorize it. This is too eff-ing much!

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Thus the warning. This is clearly not stated up front. And the vast majority of users will find it convenient. Regardless of the obvious privacy concerns.

For example, it will find and install all your Sonos devices. Even if you never use Sonos inside at, all your Sonos listening activities are logged and stored and potentially for sale by St. That is a major privacy concern.

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Is this mentioned in the TOS? By that i mean the auto-discovery. I just can’t see how it is ok for a company to just decide it wants to auto-discovery my network devices.

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Well, unfortunately, it’s consistent with Samsung’s blatant disregard for user’s privacy.

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Are you saying that they will be auto added and then if I remove them they will be automatically added back in?

[quote=“aruffell, post:3, topic:80692, full:true”]

This seems a bit far fetched… they would need to plug the ST hub into your network to get anything… and once they did they might get light bulb statuses, what you listed on Sonos, and so on… pretty boring stuff to spy on but likely to expand…
Privacy is important but I am not alarmed by this type of data leaking… when your credit card company and cell phone company can create very accurate profiles of where you are and who you are. THAT is likely a much more significant invasion of privacy.[/quote]
You mean you don’t have your ST hub plugged into your network? How does that work for you?

Yes, even if you remove them, they will be auto discovered again once you go into add a device.

ok, I got you, but then you remove it again, correct. I don’t add devices that often so as long as I can remove until the next add that works. Also, I have all my devices in rooms so it is easy to see what has been added just add devices to room and it will show you the new ones.

Yes. Keep in mind anyone who is a user on your account can add devices. So anyone on your account can trigger auto discovery and find devices you have removed.

I am just so enraged over this. This cannot be legal.

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Does anyone know if my existing Hue devices that I have connected and are using a custom DTH with auto move over to LAN Connect? Or do they have to be connected to a bridge.
Only asking as I have hue strips connected to ST direct using a custom DTH.
My Sonos and WeMo switches auto switched over to LAN Connect during the Beta Trial.

If they connect directly to the smartthings hub without a hue bridge, that’s using zigbee. Not LAN.

Ah yes. Didn’t really think that through did I.
Well thats the answer to stop them auto connecting then. :wink:

Goddamit! Unfortunately my mobile app was updated automatically today and as soon as I hit “Add a Thing”, the stupid Super LAN Connect ran and added my Hue to SmartThings. It gave me no option to decline this generous offer. Sh!t.

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