Cisco/Linksys did what?

[WolfeMacleod]

Well, this is kind of creepy...





Cisco locks customers out of their own routers, only lets them back in if they agree to being spied upon and monetized - Boing Boing

Cisco locks customers out of their own routers, only lets them back in if they agree to being spied upon and monetized

By Cory Doctorow at 1:36 pm Tuesday, Jul 3

Owners of Cisco/Linksys home routers got a nasty shock this week, when their devices automatically downloaded a new operating system, which locked out device owners. After the update, the only way to reconfigure your router was to create an account on Cisco's "cloud" service, signing up to a service agreement that gives Cisco the right to spy on your Internet use and sell its findings, and also gives them the right to disconnect you (and lock you out of your router) whenever they feel like it.

They say that "if you're not paying for the product, you are the product." But increasingly, even if you do pay for the product, you're still the product, and you aren't allowed to own anything. Ownership is a right reserved to synthetic corporate persons, and off-limits to us poor meat-humans.

Joel Hruska from ExtremeTech reports:

This is nothing but a shameless attempt to cash in on the popularity of cloud computing, and it comes at a price. The Terms and Conditions of using the Cisco Connect Cloud state that Cisco may unilaterally shut down your account if finds that you have used the service for “obscene, pornographic, or offensive purposes, to infringe another’s rights, including but not limited to any intellectual property rights, or… to violate, or encourage any conduct that would violate any applicable law or regulation or give rise to civil or criminal liability.”

It then continues “we reserve the right to take such action as we (i) deem necessary or (ii) are otherwise required to take by a third party or court of competent jurisdiction, in each case in relation to your access or use or misuse of such content or data. Such action may include, without limitation, discontinuing your use of the Service immediately without prior notice to you, and without refund or compensation to you.”

Since the Service is the only way to access your router, killing one would effectively kill the other.

Oh, and Cisco reserves the right to continue to update your router, even if you set it not to allow automatic updates.

[HardDrive]

Is that fact checked? Sounds almost too wild to be true.

[Rick V]

That was spooky. I clicked on your link and my computer froze up. Hmmmmmmmmm forced shutdown and reboot.
I went back and clicked it again (no I am not Bart Simpson) and it froze up again.
Hmmmmm force another shutdown and reboot, and while I was doing that Beth went off line. I had to reboot the entire system.
Wolf if you messed up my internet you are gonna owe me some over wound pickups for my strat!!

[slodave]

It seems like a very new story. Not much to fact check yet.

And there is nothing wrong with the link.

[slodave]

This looks to be the originating story from yesterday.

Cisco’s cloud vision: Mandatory, monetized, and killed at their discretion | ExtremeTech

[stomachmonkey]

Cisco changes privacy policy for Linksys routers after uproar - PC Advisor

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Is that fact checked? Sounds almost too wild to be true.

Unfortunately, my router is a Netgear, so I'm not able to check that in person. However, I would not doubt it.

There is this though.... so.. maybe??


Cisco Blog » Blog Archive » Answering Our Customers


Cisco Blog > CiscoHome
Answering Our Customers’ Questions about Cisco Connect Cloud

Since we announced the availability of Cisco Connect Cloud, we have heard from customers around the world who have told us that they are enjoying the access and enhancements that the new software platform adds to their Smart Wi-Fi Routers, exploring features like SimpleTap and new mobile apps. We’ve also heard that some customers are confused about our Terms of Service, particularly with regards to their data privacy, and so we felt it was important to clarify our policies.

Cisco prides itself on offering the best customer experiences, and privacy and security are at the core of everything we do. That goes for Cisco Connect Cloud too. When a customer signs up for a Cisco Connect Cloud account, personal information is used only to establish an account in order to provide customer support. Consistent with Cisco’s practices, Cisco Connect Cloud does not actively track, collect or store personal info or usage data for any other purposes, nor is it transmitted to third parties.

We also wanted to clear up any confusion about Cisco’s ‘opt in’ practices. Cisco Connect Cloud was delivered only to consumers who opted in to automatic updates. However, we apologize that the opt-out process for Cisco Connect Cloud and automatic updates was not more clear in this product release, and we are developing an updated version that will improve this process.

While we hope this reminder of our standard company practices will allay any concerns, customers who do not wish to establish a Cisco Connect Cloud account and would prefer to revert back to the traditional Linksys setup and management software can do so by calling the Linksys customer support line at 1-800-326-7114. One of our agents will walk you through the process.

We apologize to any of our customers who were inconvenienced. We take feedback very seriously. It is our mission to provide the highest quality offerings where customer satisfaction is always paramount. We hope that you’ll give Cisco Connect Cloud a try, though. I think you’ll find it’s a great way to simplify how you connect, control and interact with your connected devices, including personal entertainment and home appliances.

[spuggy]

It's a story from last week, Cisco already back-pedalled at high speed in June, see the links in the Reg article:

Users enraged by Cisco's cloudy 'upgrade' to Linksys routers • The Register

[red-beard]

Not a problem. I was having so many problems with my Linksys/Cisco routers that I gave up and went back to Netgear.

[john70t]

Apologies to those in the business, but this goes back to SOPA/ACTA/CISPA and the Hollywood mafia's attempt to strong-arm themselves into complete control of the internet and the user's personal computer.
American ISPs to launch massive copyright spying scheme on July 1 | The Raw Story.

[Brando]

Looks like it's time to encrypt web traffic... With our current bandwidth speeds I don't see a down-side.

[450knotOffice]

I have a Netgear router myself, so I'm good (for now).

[lane912]

DD-WRT!!!!!!!
free firmware for routers that is open source!!!!!

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by lane912

DD-WRT!!!!!!!
free firmware for routers that is open source!!!!!

Yup, used it to turn one of my (coincidently) Linksys/Cisco 300N's into a bridge on the far side of my house.

[stealthn]

Hmm i smell a class action coming. I never understood their cloud connect, you connect you router to the cisco cloud and you can access your internal stuff remotely?....can't you just do the same with a VPN?

[Icemaster]

Medialink.

As much as I work with Cisco, I'll never own one of their consumer products.

[MumfordLa]

I never understood their cloud connect