Whether you want it or not, Amazon’s new Sidewalk service is coming soon. Starting Tuesday, Amazon’s internet-sharing network will be activated on millions of Amazon Echo and Tile devices. But if you don’t want it, there is a way to opt out. Here’s what you should know before you make your decision.
First things first: Sidewalk is Amazon’s effort to create a “mesh” network of interconnected devices — its own, as well as those made by any participating third parties. Sidewalk-enabled devices — of which there are about to be a lot more — connect to each other through Bluetooth and radio frequencies. Your devices are connected to all other Sidewalk-enabled devices within range (and those devices’ internet connections), which are connected to all other Sidewalk-enabled devices in their range, and so on. This allows all of those devices to stay connected to the internet even if the devices themselves are out of range or disconnected from their home wifi networks. That also means your neighbors’ data passes through your device, and your data passes through theirs. You’ll be sharing a small amount of your internet bandwidth with your neighbors, and they’ll be sharing theirs with you — unless you go through the effort to turn it off.
Sidewalk has been available for Ring Spotlight and Floodlight cameras since late last year, but now Amazon will vastly expand the service (and, therefore, the network it creates) to include many, many more devices: most Echos, Echo Dots, Echo Pluses, Echo Shows, Echo Spots, Echo Studios, Echo Inputs, and Echo Flexes will turn on Sidewalk on June 8 (some older models aren’t Sidewalk-compatible). Newer Tile trackers — as well as devices that have Tile built in — will turn on June 14. Level smart locks have been able to connect to certain Ring video doorbells through Sidewalk since the end of May.
