This is not a drill! Repeat this is not a drill! Skynet lives! A recent bill proposed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz would help determine if your appliances are SPYING on you!
.@Independent: Ted Cruz proposes bill to help detect if your appliances are spying on youhttps://t.co/KXweaW9Fzz
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) July 14, 2023
The responses were mixed, and many people gave the Texas senator a hard time.
I knew it! My toaster keeps talking to me. It keeps saying, "Insert bread here" in Spanish.
— Raymond Torres (@Raymond86381680) July 14, 2023
It seems most people found the idea silly.
Thank you for your service Ted Cruz; I recently discovered that my toaster was conspiring with multiple appliances to turn my family against me and kick me out of my home. This is a genuine and severe problem worth spending time on. pic.twitter.com/PZTncIyUjq
— Not the real Gumby (@75FordPinto) July 14, 2023
Yeah, we laughed; it couldn't be helped.
Siri, are my appliances spying on me?
— Barbara D (@IK9VeroBeach) July 14, 2023
Siri: Ask Alexa.
Smart assistant catfight in 3!
I know they are! The other day I was in the kitchen talking with my wife about something utterly unrelated to what either of us has bought, searched, etc.
— tchitham9 - Lordship/Sire (@tchitham9) July 14, 2023
I get to my computer, and on TW, I start getting ads on the subject of your discussion EXACTLY! Before I even type!
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This happens to us all the time too! It's downright creepy.
If you have a smart device and are wondering if it is spying on you, the answer is yes. I don’t need legislation to tell me it’s happening; I need legislation to stop it.
— Paul Botts (@PaulBotts3) July 14, 2023
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the rub. We already know that intelligent devices listen to our conversations. It's justified as the AI embedded in the machines trying to anticipate our needs and learn how to serve us best. Like all things, though, this technology can be used in ways it might not have been intended.
Is this a step in the right direction? Yes, albeit a baby step; that being said, we need more.
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