eero, part of the Amazon family have said they will strengthen their commitment to privacy and security. Concerns have been raised over the Amazon family’s privacy standards, notable recently over their Ring door bells.
In February, Amazon have acquired eero, home wifi system. The acquisition sparked concerns over Amazon’s possible use of eero network data as the wifi router can track customers network traffic.
Speaking to The Verge yesterday, eero CEO Nick Weave promised to strengthen the company’s commitment to both privacy and security.
He also published a post yesterday to reassure shoppers of the safety of their personal data. He said that Amazon shares eero’s belief in putting customer trust first.
“Privacy has always been core to eero — as has customer trust. With this acquisition, we’re committed to keeping our customer’s trust each and every day. At eero, we have always believed everyone has a fundamental right to privacy, especially in their own homes, and we take this extremely seriously.”
-Nick, Co-Founder & CEO, eero
Nick says that eero uses customer data to improve their products, services and fix customer issues. In a bid to continue being upfront and transparent around privacy, he outlined how eero currently uses customer data to improve their products and their overall customer experience:
1. Products, apps, and services – eero collect information about their network, including network status, assigned IP addresses, signal strength, and bandwidth usage, to help them optimise WiFi performance and the overall eero experience.
2. The eero network – to improve the experience of eero networks, they collect minimal information regarding the types of devices connected to a network and the results of daily speed tests.
3. Customer support – in order to provide a best-in-class experience, eero support team uses basic personal information — including email, name, and phone number — for account verification and communication.
Are Amazon data abuse concerns fair?
While there are growing concerns over the possible Amazon use of eero network data, this raises a question mark whether Amazon should be less trustworthy than any other company that use their customer’s data? The use of customer data has become normality for companies aiming to improve experiences and services for their clientele. As an iPhone user, I expect my phone to track my location to personalise my experiences and suggest the nearby restaurants, pubs and shops. Is it right that people are concerned or is it that the press is simply being sensationalist?
