this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
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Replacing a dishwasher. Most of the mid-range options now come with fucking Wi-Fi. Found a model I liked, no info in manual and support from Samsung was of course, useless since it wasn't already in the manual and wanted to keep talking about their exciting "smart things" app. gag.

I saw a youtube video of a guy disconnecting wifi cable on a fridge. I'm fine doing that if I have to open up the board but it'll probably be smaller than the fridge and who knows if it'll be helpfully labled like the one in the video was. Internet searching showed me there may be oven keypress combinations to turn wi-fi radio on/off. Anyone have anything similar/advice for Samsung appliances, specifically dishwashers?

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[–] logos 41 points 2 months ago (2 children)

If you don’t hook it up to your network, what’s the problem?

[–] [email protected] 41 points 2 months ago (2 children)

It may try to connect to open wifi networks instead, maybe

[–] logos 9 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Honestly asking; Why would I care if my dishwasher connected to some random Wi-Fi. What does it know about me? Someone gonna hack it?

[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago (3 children)

There have been instances of network-enabled devices updating to put existing features behind a paywall, unilaterally changing the terms of service (can't use device anymore until you agree to new terms), and simply removing features that you paid for when you bought the device.

Why does a dishwasher need wifi?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So you can get an alert when the dishes are done.

Not justifying the feature itself, but there is a purpose.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago

Mine just plays a jingle lol

[–] sun_is_ra 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

How is that legal? Could u buy a dishwasher then 3 months later it starts asking for a small fee per wash?

I know these things happen but usually you are informed in advance and bought the product at a big discount

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It will be buried somewhere in the terms & conditions.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Especially when the terms and conditions say that they can update the terms and conditions at any time.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

It probably requires an app to monitor the wash cycle. All they have to do is start charging a subscription to use the app. If people bought the dishwasher because they would get alerts when their dishes were clean, now they have to pay a recurring fee.

Roku pushed an update to their TVs requiring owners to agree to a new terms of service. There was no "disagree" button, and the TV wouldn't work until people accepted the changes.

This is such a new problem that it's never been challenged in court.

[–] logos 2 points 2 months ago
[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago

If you're asking in earnest, the last decade has shown for profit corps know no bounds in using technology to extract, poorly protect, and often aggregate and then will make any attempt to monetize possible--often retroactively. While a dishwasher might not have much data in itself to exploit, if your internet connected TV, Car or phone which is constantly scanning for nearby WI-FI items or networks decided to start cataloguing them...well then that would just be a Tuesday for Google, Ford or Sony right?

The more data points, the worse. More breaches, more creepy facts about us floating around in some creepy company or regime's stockpile of data to be used, unilaterally against me. Or maybe the next company to buy the current company I'm happy with. Or the next regime that decides people like me aren't full humans. Between your computer and phone, most people's lives are somewhat laid bare, but add in car tracking which auto companies have stuck their funnel into during the last 5 years, add in appliances, put Wi-Fi if your shower handle...again the people adding Wi-Fi to things like a dishwasher that don't need it have only one thing to gain, monetizing your data and selling it to someone who wants to control you in some way.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

This shows so much privilege. Apartments, townhomes, condominiums. Sometimes you're scrolling through pages of Wi-Fi networks from your neighbors looking for your own SSID right next to the device.

Yeah, you can't do shit about open Wi-Fi networks near you and promiscuous devices.