{"id":552098,"date":"2023-02-14T18:32:42","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T15:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/im-sick-of-smart-security-cameras-heres-why-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2023-02-14T18:32:42","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T15:32:42","slug":"im-sick-of-smart-security-cameras-heres-why-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/im-sick-of-smart-security-cameras-heres-why-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#I\u2019m Sick of Smart Security Cameras, Here\u2019s Why \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dcd383db7c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dcd383db7c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/im-sick-of-smart-security-cameras-heres-why-review-geek\/#%E2%80%9CIm_Sick_of_Smart_Security_Cameras_Heres_Why_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;I\u2019m Sick of Smart Security Cameras, Here\u2019s Why \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/im-sick-of-smart-security-cameras-heres-why-review-geek\/#Smart_Homes_Are_a_Hassle\" >Smart Homes Are a Hassle<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/im-sick-of-smart-security-cameras-heres-why-review-geek\/#How_Much_Am_I_Supposed_to_Spend_on_This_Stuff\" >How Much Am I Supposed to Spend on This Stuff?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/im-sick-of-smart-security-cameras-heres-why-review-geek\/#I_Hate_Trading_Privacy_for_Peace_of_Mind\" >I Hate Trading Privacy for Peace of Mind<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/im-sick-of-smart-security-cameras-heres-why-review-geek\/#Still_Ill_Keep_Using_These_Dang_Cameras\" >Still, I\u2019ll Keep Using These Dang Cameras<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CIm_Sick_of_Smart_Security_Cameras_Heres_Why_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;I\u2019m Sick of Smart Security Cameras, Here\u2019s Why \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-header-area\"><strong class=\"before-article-tag green\">Opinion<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p class=\"subheadingtext\">The cloud is a nightmare.<\/p>\n<p><!-- .entry-meta -->\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-145730 size-full\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/fff5c6cf.png?width=1200\" alt=\"An Eufy Security smart camera on the exterior of a building.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Ste Knight \/ Review Geek\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Ste Knight \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An emphasis on cloud computing makes smart cameras expensive, annoying, and vulnerable to hackers.<\/p>\n<p>Smart security cameras <em>should<\/em> help us protect our privacy and property. But cloud computing, the cornerstone of today\u2019s smart home tech, is a machine that must stay in motion. It violates user privacy, and it intentionally creates friction to sell sub<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>ions, upgrades, and other nonsense.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Smart_Homes_Are_a_Hassle\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_0\">Smart Homes Are a Hassle<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I\u2019ve owned and tested several smart security cameras. And regardless of the brand or the price, there\u2019s always a bunch of stupid smart home quirks to deal with. These quirks are annoying, but more importantly, they limit a smart security camera\u2019s usefulness.<\/p>\n<p>The most common \u201cquirk\u201d I encounter is buggy software. I\u2019m never surprised when a smart camera app gives me an error message, or when a live feed fails to load, or when a setting I\u2019ve enabled doesn\u2019t work. Even well-known brands like Google Nest and Amazon Ring are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/googlehome\/comments\/tfou4k\/starting_to_get_annoyed_with_the_cameras\/\">terrible at patching bugs<\/a> in their software, leaving customers with paperweights that occasionally double as cameras.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of paperweights, cloud-reliant devices are doomed for an early grave. Manufacturers intentionally end support for smart home devices after just a few years (usually to dodge security vulnerabilities). If smart cameras weren\u2019t so entrenched in the cloud, they could operate for decades. Instead, the manufacturer gets to tell you when to throw away your security camera.<\/p>\n<p>And, as any smart home customer knows, these products don\u2019t always do what you expect. Maybe you read about a camera\u2019s awesome features on Amazon, only to realize that those features require a subscription. Or, maybe you bought a Google Nest Cam to watch its live video feed on your Google Pixel Watch\u2014surprise, the Nest Cam only sends live video to Apple and Samsung watches!<\/p>\n<p>This stuff drives me insane. A security camera should work as expected, and it should continue working until it\u00a0physically breaks. We\u2019ve had IP (internet protocol) security cameras for decades; they connect to a central DVR or computer that manages footage, alerts a user to anything weird, and so on. Smart home companies took this straightforward technology and decided to hold it ransom in the cloud, over-complicating everything and making worse products in the process.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Much_Am_I_Supposed_to_Spend_on_This_Stuff\"><\/span>How Much Am I Supposed to Spend on This Stuff?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-145731\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/7ad73ba0.jpg\" alt=\"Google indoor and outdoor Nest Cam, Learning Thermostate, and Hello doorbell at ADT's CES 2023 booth\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The average smart security camera or doorbell runs between $50 and $200. If you live in a house, you may need several of these cameras just to keep an eye on your exits and entrances. But even after you spend a couple hundred dollars on the hardware, you\u2019re pushed to pay for a monthly subscription.<\/p>\n<p>Every smart camera brand (minus a few outliers) locks functionality behind a subscription. Some of this functionality, like AI-assisted vehicle detection, isn\u2019t all that important. The problem is that\u00a0<em>basic functionality<\/em> often requires a subscription\u2014you can only view a few seconds of video unless you pay up, and your camera will enforce a long \u201ccooldown\u201d period between recordings if you\u2019re not a subscriber.<\/p>\n<p>This is where cloud-based functionality just feels like punishment. Footage of your property, which was recorded by your camera, is tucked behind a paywall on some server.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, the company you\u2019re supposed to trust with this footage is free to do whatever it wants. Almost every smart camera brand says it \u201canonymizes\u201d user data for third parties, and Ring keeps giving recordings to the police <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/86496\/ring-now-requires-police-make-their-video-requests-on-a-public-forum\/\">without user consent.<\/p>\n<p>I know that cloud storage costs money. But smart home companies intentionally force you into the world of cloud storage. They avoid local storage solutions,\u00a0which would be far cheaper for consumers.<\/p>\n<p>And when a smart camera actually offers local storage, it\u2019s usually just a new annoyance.\u00a0You might be forced to use a paltry 32GB microSD card, for example. And as we\u2019ve learned from Eufy, local content can still end up in the cloud.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"I_Hate_Trading_Privacy_for_Peace_of_Mind\"><\/span>I Hate Trading Privacy for Peace of Mind<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-107477\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/01\/e9dd3e57.png\" alt=\"The Wyze Cam Outdoor on a porch.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Michael Crider \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Smart home devices are grossly, disturbingly unsecured. We see dozens of new smart home hacks and vulnerabilities each year. Unfortunately, smart security cameras are often the subject of these stories.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s hard to find a smart camera brand that hasn\u2019t had a major security problem\u2014not necessarily a hack, but a problem. Amazon\u2019s Ring is the most well-known example. It was the subject of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/30722\/ring-can-and-should-solve-its-security-problem\/\">several hacks in 2019 and 2020. Strangers accessed and spoke through Ring cameras, verbally harassing and violating the privacy of victims. (Amazon\u2019s response was to blame customers for using bad passwords. It has since upgraded its security practices and mandated 2FA for all accounts.)<\/p>\n<p>More recently, Wyze was caught hiding a critical vulnerability that may have allowed hackers to view strangers\u2019 camera feeds. Security researchers warned Wyze of this vulnerability, but the smart home brand waited three years to do anything about it. We only learned of the vulnerability when researchers lost their patience and went public.<\/p>\n<p>And Eufy\u2014oh, poor Eufy. It\u2019s one of the few brands to sell \u201ccloud-free\u201d smart cameras with local storage and zero subscriptions. Eufy should be my dream brand, but it was caught lying about how it handles data when researchers found a way to access strangers\u2019 camera feeds. Eufy responded by denying everything.<\/p>\n<p>So, on top of all the annoyances and subscriptions, smart security cameras are a threat to your personal privacy. Some people aren\u2019t bothered by this problem, but it limits my ability to secure my home, as I\u2019m not comfortable placing smart cameras indoors or anywhere that might reveal my personal information.<\/p>\n<p>To be clear, we no longer suggest Eufy or Wyze\u00a0and have removed both brands from our product roundups. We gave Ring a similar treatment in 2020, though we are much more comfortable with Ring today, thanks to its updated security practices. (Although I\u2019m frustrated that Ring keeps lying about its involvement with law enforcement.)<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Still_Ill_Keep_Using_These_Dang_Cameras\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_3\">Still, I\u2019ll Keep Using These Dang Cameras<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-145733\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/b9153260.png\" alt=\"A pair of Arlo battery-powered smart security cameras\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Craig Lloyd \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sometimes you\u2019re stuck with something you hate. And that\u2019s the situation I\u2019m in with my smart security cameras. While I\u2019d love to ditch this stuff, I\u2019ve spent too much money on it, and I can\u2019t afford an upgrade to something better.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, some smart camera features are just too good to ignore. I love that I receive notifications when someone\u2019s at my door, especially while I\u2019m away from home. And on more than one occasion, I\u2019ve watched a friend defend their home by activating the siren on their smart cameras.<\/p>\n<p>If I ever get angry enough, I may punish myself by building a self-hosted smart camera system. Tools like\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synology.com\/en-us\/surveillance\">Synology Surveillance Station<\/a>\u00a0can connect with several brands of IP security cameras, forming a centralized system that stores everything locally and avoids <em>some<\/em> of my smart camera gripes.<\/p>\n<p>But let\u2019s be honest; I\u2019m probably stuck in smart camera purgatory.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/145507\/im-sick-of-smart-security-cameras-heres-why\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I\u2019m Sick of Smart Security Cameras, Here\u2019s Why \u2013 Review Geek&#8221; Opinion The cloud is a nightmare. Ste Knight \/ Review Geek An emphasis on cloud computing makes smart cameras expensive, annoying, and vulnerable to hackers. Smart security cameras should help us protect our privacy and property. But cloud computing, the cornerstone of today\u2019s smart&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":552099,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/fff5c6cf.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-552098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=552098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552098\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=552098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}