This long-form series of special reports, investigations, and shorter format feature updates goes deep with the privacy violations and overreach of modern consumer electronics, including Smart TVs and other devices. We’ll explore LG’s WebOS, LG Smart TV vulnerabilities and exploits, first-party ACR (automated content recognition) behaviors, and other concerns. Alongside that, we’ll dive deeper into ALPRs and Flock cameras as we fight their rollout in at least one small town. We’re also digging deep into the data exchange practices between large AI companies, looking into how data sucked into data centers can be exploited for training and profit.
I have multiple young-ish (30s) friends that don’t own a phone (not just smartphone; any phone), and basically all people I know above 80 years don’t own one either.
You can absolutely live a perfectly fine and good life without a smartphone. You’re just drawing the line where it’s convenient for you.
Or let’s put it in more familiar words…
Your personal anecdotes aside, myself and many others literally cannot . Modern society expects you to own one, including organizations like banks, healthcare, and, possibly most importantly, employers. It’s literally mandatory to participate in much of society.
Similarly, my local city has nothing representing public transportation or safe routes for walking or cycling. In addition, in areas where many of the jobs are, housing is obscenely-priced, and completely unaffordable for “normal” people, so living close to work isn’t an option either.
No job is going to require you to watch YouTube news.