Roomba Testers Feel Misled After Intimate Pictures Are Posted to Facebook by Foreign Gig Workers

Testers for the popular Roomba automated vacuum cleaner made by iRobot have stated that they feel misled after intimate photos of them ended up on Facebook. One woman found pictures of herself sitting on the toilet, never imaging her robot vacuum would violate her privacy. The pictures were reportedly posted to social media by Venezuelan gig workers.

Breitbart News previously reported that during the autumn of 2020, a group of gig workers based in Venezuela posted various pictures on online platforms where they discussed work-related matters. The images, some of which were often intimate in nature, showed scenes from inside homes taken from a low perspective.

Roomb a Testers Feel Misled After Intimate Pictures Are Posted to Facebook

I'll tell of an old man... who told his children that "Once you introduce a device into your home that sends images, sounds, and other information, you no longer can 'expect' privacy. Period. End of line." That old man was me... talking about cell phones and smart devices...

In one shot, a young woman could be seen sitting on a toilet with her shorts pulled down to mid-thigh. The images were taken by her Roomba J7 series robot vacuum made by iRobot. The photos were sent by iRobot to Scale AI, a startup that contracts workers to label audio, photo, and video data to train artificial intelligence. Amazon is in the process of acquiring iRobot, driven by an insatiable lust to hoover up every last shred of its customers’ data.

Here's a bit from MIT Technology Review website:

Nearly a dozen people who participated in iRobot’s data collection efforts between 2019 and 2022 have come forward in the weeks since MIT Technology Review published an investigation into how the company uses images captured from inside real homes to train its artificial intelligence. The participants have shared similar concerns about how iRobot handled their data—and whether those practices conform with the company's own data protection promises. After all, the agreements go both ways, and whether or not the company legally violated its promises, the participants feel misled.

I point out that no one company will take any responsibility for this ... all will point out 'agreements' between them and the testers. But I will also point out that none of these companies made any demonstrable efforts to ensure this didn't happen.

One word on compensation ...

Although iRobot testers are not compensated, they might get gifts cards or free production versions of the product once it is released. However, given the potential loss of privacy, testers found this compensation to be disappointing. Even before considering that “my naked ass could now be on the Internet,” as one tester put it.

a reply to: Maxmars

This should be a lesson for people who haven't already learned it, or didn't see it coming.

Any kind of smart device in your home can be used to spy on you. And provide measures of control over you.

Doorbell cameras
WiFi security cameras
Baby monitors
Toys
Video game consoles
Appliances
Vehicle nav/media systems

Now vacuums.

Why do you think they wanted to try and take gas stoves? Easier to disable for non-compliance.

a reply to: Maxmars

My daughter has a rumba at home, I keep telling her these things are sending information about her and her home to China.

I wonder sometimes how the new generations are just soo willing to give everything they have in the name of technology.

a reply to: watchitburn

Yep we are heading to the point when with a push of a button you lose everything for Faling to comply, this just the setting up stage.

When they get more than half of the population on the technological grab is game over, social credits is heading our way.

I fail to understand why you would want, or need, a vacuum cleaner that can take photo's?

Would you want toilet paper that takes photo's as you wipe?

Your rubbish bin taking photo's to track who bins what?

If people keep participating in this nonsense, it will continue.

Soon, every aspect of your life will be documented and digitized.

'You have used up your poo privileges today. Should you require more, please pay 100 credits.'

a reply to: Maxmars

input.data./

camera./
vacuum./
wifi./

initiate.subroutine.humor./

ha./
ha./
ha./

code corrupt./
not approved./

a reply to: watchitburn

I hear there are some measures a common citizen can take to avoid being robbed of personal data, like the old cell phone in a potato chip bag trick, etc. Sounds silly but your phone can't communicate through that kind of wrapper. I imagine there might be a number of ways to control your information "broadcasting" rather easily, if not oddly.

The truth is this is mostly up for commercial abuse, but salacious people will do what salacious people do.

a reply to: Nostranova

They are "training" AI. Which I presume means teaching it to "see a room" as opposed to teaching it to "see things.

That's probably wrong... I'm sure the grant that pays this research would tell.

originally posted by: Cryptix
a reply to: Maxmars

input.data./

camera./
vacuum./
wifi./

initiate.subroutine.humor./

ha./
ha./
ha./

code corrupt./
not approved./

Well, they do suck.

originally posted by: Maxmars

originally posted by: Cryptix
a reply to: Maxmars

input.data./

camera./
vacuum./
wifi./

initiate.subroutine.humor./

ha./
ha./
ha./

code corrupt./
not approved./

Well, they do suck.

input.data./

vacuum./

input.data./

"Well, they do suck"./

intitiate.subroutine.humor./

ha./
ha./
ha./

code approved./

Gonna have to put my phone in a chip bag and have someone test this now lol

a reply to: AlecHolland

Use one of the opaque "mylar-like" bags ... that should do it.

(Please try to use a clean one, there's nothing worse than a cell phone that forever smells of Doritos.)

a reply to: marg6043

I work with a lot of young people and the consensus is the information they give up has little value compared to what they gain. Often times, I hear the question and statement "what can they do with information about me? I'm not anyone of interest."

Lazy a__ folks got their just deserts.
Over and out .

How anyone could expect these devices to not be spies at this point is beyond me.

I've never seen one in person, but I do have a question-
why the everloving hell would you connect it to your wifi?
what could an appliance you "own" ever need access to the internet for?
what the F were you thinking?

originally posted by: InwardDiver
a reply to: marg6043

I work with a lot of young people and the consensus is the information they give up has little value compared to what they gain. Often times, I hear the question and statement "what can they do with information about me? I'm not anyone of interest."

BUUT.... What about 20 or 30 years from now? You get into politics. Or teaching. Or a number of other fields of work. Then you get on the radar of some doxxer who simply doesn't like the cut of your jib. So they realized there is hours and hours of old Roomba and iPhone videos they can go through.

Suddenly they are blindsiding you with an old iPhone conversation where you went full NAZI and RACIST. Never mind the fact you were 16 at the time. Eventually you cant even get a job asking "Do you want fries with that burger?" Why? Because of that you're social scoring will never rise above a 2 out of 10.

It's a Republican!!!!

originally posted by: InwardDiver
a reply to: marg6043

I work with a lot of young people and the consensus is the information they give up has little value compared to what they gain. Often times, I hear the question and statement "what can they do with information about me? I'm not anyone of interest."

It is true that context eludes the younger generation, who have been trained to hold bias about things.

The answer I would give to ""what can they do with information about me? I'm not anyone of interest." would be outside younger people's frame of perception... "What could google do with your searches, what could Twitter collect about who you talk with, and about what, and when. Just what about you is only you, and not your Facebook score?" Do you actually know what you 'agreed' to? Doubtful, if it was plain and simple it wouldn't take pages upon pages of user agreements to describe..."

Does anyone remember when people discovered that every single "photo" they uploaded to a 'cloud' app was now the intellectual property of some corporate entity? How if they ever used them for profit purposes they needed "permission" to use their own photo?

But it was convenient to upload them... just like it was convenient to 'chat' with their friends online, rather than in person... it was the carrot... which is always followed by the stick. The convenient services you are "provided" are never - ever - free.

But I know the answer from the youths who I might theoretically engage..., "I don't care."