@andybaio This is like the google glass nightmare all over. I hope someone designs something that will screw up recording. This is invasive at the very least.

No, that’s the pitch deck.

@andybaio

@andybaio I misread this as “limitless pedant" and thought "but why pay $99 when we get so many of those for free on social media”

@andybaio Oh look, another tech that is by default illegal in the EU.

@andybaio pretty sure this device is illegal in the EU. can't wait to see the GDPR fines

@andybaio
These are my terms of service for talking to me: If you speak to me while wearing one of these you consent to me punching you in the mouth. To opt out of a punch in the mouth post a notice to me here within two (2) weeks of purchasing your Limitless Pendant.

@andybaio

Would it be legal to break these when seen? As it is recording your conversation without your consent and they aren't stopping.

I am NOT recommending petty violence or ANY action, but I do want to know what the legal recourses are.

@andybaio How is it possible that this kind of thing is described as normal and acceptable?

@andybaio “it’ll be about AI agents that actually do stuff on your behalf, so Limitless can know everything about you and do everything for you and everything will be amazing.”

Nope. Don’t like that.

@andybaio Gotta wonder how this works in multi-person consent states? Would a person recorded without their consent be able to take action against Limitless? Betting the user agreement indemnifies Limitless from the purchaser, but not sure how that would work for the person recorded.

@andybaio yet another reason to learn ASL or any other sign language really

@andybaio

Wow, so illegal in California.

@andybaio I see a new opportunity: The J4mm3r: You wear it like a pendant but it emits EM jamming on all frequencies known to be used by Limitless devices.

https://recordinglaw.com/party-two-party-consent-states/ is a fun read.

@andybaio con-sent

@andybaio
And you know that they're still going to gather data even if you turn on "Consent Mode" because tech bros reject the very idea of consent on religious grounds.

@andybaio Pretty sure these claims go well beyond the current state of the art anyway, especially on a portable device with 100 hours of claimed battery life. So I posit the whole thing is a scam.

@andybaio And it wouldn’t be difficult to have a screen during onboarding simply asking “Enable or Disable ‘Consent Mode’” with an explainer. Like, bare minimum consideration here.

@andybaio The way he switches to first person when describing how it collects data is telling - "I have access to your email, I have access to your Slack messages".

I gotta admit that the device, while probably not private and kinda creepy, does look really nice

@andybaio
At glance I thought it was a water bottle with different colored tops. An idea which I will now claim as my own invention, and am open to anyone wishing to invest. 🍶

@andybaio

Consent mode being off by default conveniently (for big tech) puts the burden on the user to know whether the state they're in requires only one or every party to a conversation to agree to being recorded.

Stupid move by big tech, but it's their basic business model.

@andybaio

We should really be thinking more about why the people with all the money are spending all of our resources to make the world shittier instead of better, and why we're allowing them to.

@andybaio you spelled capitalism wrong 😉

@andybaio Mother*****s. But they dare. I guess the good old tactic of punching the nazi is what remains for the people.

@andybaio@xoxo.zone how is this shit legal?

@andybaio inb4 tech bros hear recordings of what they mutter to themselves when they're not listening.

@andybaio So default reaction to encountering such a pendant then is to pull off and stamp it on the floor?

@andybaio @scream

@andybaio wow.

@andybaio
Only talking to naked people from now on.

@andybaio The Fediverse is one of the few places online that seems to understand the concept of consent.

#Mastodon #Fediverse

@andybaio What could possible go wrong?

@andybaio UGH that is horrible.

The sad thing is I could see some very valid uses for a far less obvious recording device that does clear recording of voices (medical appointments or other scenarios where you need to record information, any encounter with the police, documenting abuse) but all of the privacy violation and stuff this funnels data through (as well as the obvious appearance) would make it horrible for any valid need for recording

@andybaio ironic consent decisions aside, imo the general concept is exciting, especially for disabled people and those with memory problems. i don’t like the idea of a company having all this data though. would much rather have a self-hosted version. Also.. with regards to work life and personal life, how is data security supposed to work assuming users wear this at work and outside of work? (1/2)

@andybaio so many pretty doodads with such ugly "AI" technologies...

@andybaio is it like a hearing aid?

I don't trust AI to be a simple calculator so why should I trust AI to process auditory consent?

@andybaio A piece of civilian surveillance equipment that uploads all recorded data to a private company’s servers, is always recording by default, yet is painfully visible as it’s worn like a piece of jewellery can only ever be the product of free market capitalism.

@andybaio Endgame of this is company could be to record all inputs and outputs of office workers and then train an AI agent that does their job... then sell the agent to the employer getting them fired. Good luck to anyone who actually buys this thing or works for a company that forces them to wear it.

@andybaio I would wager that means consent mode doesn't work

@andybaio news flash: it’s off by default probably because that feature doesn’t work

@andybaio

>Off by default

That is illegal in my state!

@andybaio This is really, especially horrifying. OOH! Hacking it gonna be FUNNNN!

:blobcatcoffee:

@andybaio Why would any sane person want this?

@andybaio if someone is wearing this in my area, I will not politely exist in their environment.

@andybaio
Yikes.
@hannu_ikonen

@andybaio
There is no off when it is always listening for consent.

@andybaio Ten years ago when hearing about dystopian shit like this you'd think of China and Social Credit. Now it's Silicon Valley Tech Bros and AI.

@andybaio Can we have one with Richard Nixon's face on it, please? He was the original let's record everything guy, and the first one to Find Out. How long will it take before someone is convicted of a crime based on one of these things?

@andybaio "it doesn't record people until it records them consenting to being recorded"

ah, so it does record them, it just only uploads to their servers without showing it to the user

@andybaio wow, love how illegal this is to record a conversation without consent...

@andybaio what is that supposed to be good for

@andybaio I love how their first idea for AI speech interpretation is basically wearable surveillance. Meanwhile, I haven't worn hearing aids since college because they can't properly distinguish voices from background for people with usable hearing.

Like, there's a real, existing, and VERY LUCRATIVE use-case for this, and they sped right past it towards privacy-destroying surveillance.

@andybaio Pretty much. Mostly because the idea of a consent mode (much outside of authentication and respecting robots.txt) is something imposed upon the tech sector, not generally something it grew from within.

A lot of people pulling data from the internet are doing so under the assumption that the data is there because somebody wants it pulled and they are surprised when they are post-hoc told no.

@andybaio I solemnly pledge to physically assault anybody who wears one of these within speaking distance of me

@andybaio so does anyone remember in the 90s a bunch of 'spy toys' like listening devices got banned for being 'too invasive'.

Love a surveillance state where everyone is a narc.

@andybaio@xoxo.zone why are tech companies

@andybaio@xoxo.zone WHAT IS THIS EVEN FOR IM NOT TALKING TO PEOPLE WEARING THIS

@andybaio "consent mode is off by default" is also the unofficial motto for men everywhere... 😬

@andybaio would be neat if it wasn't such a blatant marketing lie lol

@andybaio

"Consent Mode is off by default" (ROU)

#cultureshipname

@andybaio

I really hope someone from the DOJ is reading this... since like half of the states have anti-wire-tapping laws that this device would definitely violate

@andybaio with any luck this will go the way of google glass.

@andybaio A technology like this could be so great for the deaf and hard of hearing and for immigrants, if only it didn't have any cloud features. Yes, I want subtitles IRL. No, I don't want a tech company to have access to them. What's so hard to get?

@andybaio defaults to "bro mode"