Amazon Sidewalk Will Share Your Internet With Strangers. It’s Not As Scary As It Sounds.

On June 8, Amazon is set to flip the switch on its new free service called Sidewalk, which will automatically be enabled on many of Amazon’s Echo smart speakers and smart displays, as well as some Ring devices (for more details, see the complete list of compatible devices). Once Sidewalk goes live, compatible devices such as speakers, light bulbs, locks, and sensors will be able to connect anonymously to other Sidewalk devices to borrow a little slice of internet connectivity. That should enable some interesting features down the line as more compatible devices appear. It’s also creating a fair amount of consternation about privacy and security—and for internet providers in particular, resentment that Amazon is giving away their internet service for free.