Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, writing at The Verge:

Comcast is bringing Wi-Fi motion sensing to millions of routers that are already in customers’ homes, turning the devices into activity monitors. […]

It works by detecting disruptions in the Wi-Fi signal between the Xfinity gateway and any Wi-Fi-connected device, giving you some insight into what’s happening in your home without buying additional hardware. […]

WiFi Motion requires an advanced gateway, XB7 or newer. It’s opt in and can be turned on and off through the app.

What we need is more surveillance tech in our lives, and especially inside our own homes.

Zack Whittaker at TechCrunch notes:

By enabling the feature, Comcast says it may disclose information generated from a customer’s use of Wi-Fi Motion to outside parties under a broad array of reasons — and Comcast says it doesn’t have to tell you.

“Comcast may disclose information generated by your Wi-Fi Motion to third parties without further notice to you in connection with any law enforcement investigation or proceeding, any dispute to which Comcast is a party, or pursuant to a court order or subpoena,” reads an Xfinity support page.

So you pay Comcast for internet connectivity, opt in to Wi-Fi Motion for “security,” and now Comcast can notify unknown third parties whether or not you are home, how long you’re asleep, or how often you get up to use the bathroom while watching television? No thanks. I imagine telemarketers are salivating at the chance to know you’re sitting on your couch right now. Comcast is no doubt gleeful it can now claim a technician knocked on your door during the thirty seconds you were in the kitchen topping off your Mountain Dew.

Worse, it’s possible to use this technology to recognize and identify individuals.

I definitely don’t trust Comcast to keep this “opt-in,” either. I fully expect a future article about a “bug” that “accidentally” turned it on for customers, then Comcast eventually making it opt-out, before it makes the feature an undisclosed requirement.

(Shame on The Verge for not making even a passing reference to the privacy implications in what reads like a regurgitated Comcast press release.)

There are many reasons I refuse to use or recommend Comcast’s routers. Add one more.