Company makes security cameras, uses your pictures without being asked – Biggest tech YouTuber is angry, ends cooperation
Eufy is one of the most well-known tech brands and sells security systems and other tech equipment. But the devices send your pictures to public servers without being asked. The most famous tech YouTuber Linus Tech Tips has now declared that he never wants to work with them again.
This is the current situation:
- Eufy is a subsidiary of Anker. Eufy makes cameras and security systems and sells them on Amazon, for example. The reviews so far have been very good.
- Linus Tech Tips is one of the largest and most well-known tech channels on YouTube. He tests gaming hardware and tech for his viewers.
- In a video he has now stated that he never wants to work with Anker, Eufy’s parent company, again.
What exactly happened? YouTuber Paul Moore had shown in a videothat the company Eufy allegedly sends private images from the security cameras to their servers without being asked. Faces and other images should be linked to the user’s account. On top of that, the images should end up unencrypted on the Eufy server so that every user can access them.
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Linus Tech Tips: “We’re done with Anker.”
How is Linus Tech Tips reacting? In a new video, Linus Sebastian, the head of the YouTube channel “Linus Tech Tips”, explains that Anker will be dropped as a future sponsor. He himself says in his video that Anker is done with and no longer wants to work with them.
Above all, Linus said he wasn’t sure if Eufy wouldn’t also use images from other devices for such purposes. Because in addition to security cameras, Eufy also has things like vacuum cleaning robots or body scales in its range. You can watch the entire video on YouTube:
What’s next? Some users comment in the comments that “face recognition” and storage is illegal in the US. In Europe, too, this approach could violate all data protection guidelines, some say.
Some people in the comments also state that they will never use this company’s products again. So someone writes:
Of all the companies I’ve seen, Anker is the only one I’ve (cautiously) shown brand loyalty to and been able to trust, and from someone who believes that no one should have brand loyalty.
A nice reminder that even seemingly great companies can still do crappy things in terms of product trustworthiness and transparency (accurate product specs (especially battery life), quality products, good customer support, etc.).
It is likely that the Anker company with its sub-brands will lose other customers in addition to the YouTube channel. Because in the comments and also on reddit, many users are very disappointed and will prefer to use another manufacturer in the future (via reddit.com).
Do you own a Eufy security camera? Or do you not see the whole situation as dramatically? Tell us in the comments!
By the way, Linus gets along better with other sponsors, as he shows in another video:
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Reference-mein-mmo.de
