Stop Using Eufy Security Cameras NOW! (+ Anker & Soundcore)

Summary

In this video, Jeff King discusses the concerning security issues with Yuffie's wireless security cameras, which have gained popularity but are now under scrutiny for their privacy flaws. Despite marketing claims of local storage and military-grade encryption, evidence suggests Yuffie is uploading user data, including facial recognition information, to the cloud in an unencrypted manner. This contradicts their privacy promises and raises serious concerns about data security, leading King to advise against using Yuffie or its parent company Anchor's products.

Takeaways

• 📹 Jeff King discusses the growing wireless security camera market and the shift from local to cloud storage.
• 🔒 The script highlights the importance of data security and privacy in home security systems, with a focus on the claims made by companies like yuffie.
• 🚫 Jeff expresses concern over a major flaw in yuffie cameras that allows them to be reset and all associated files to be deleted by simply holding a button for eight seconds.
• 🛑 He warns against the use of yuffie cameras due to discovered issues, which contradict the company's claims about local storage and data privacy.
• 🏆 Forbes and Consumer Reports have previously praised yuffie for their security and customer ratings, which now seems to be in question.
• 🔑 The script mentions that yuffie's privacy policy states that they do not view, share, or use customer video recordings, but evidence suggests otherwise.
• 🌐 It is revealed that yuffie has been uploading customer data, including facial recognition information, to the cloud in an unencrypted manner.
• 🔍 Security expert findings and subsequent discussions on platforms like Reddit and by tech influencers like Linus Tech Tips have exposed yuffie's practices.
• 🚫 Jeff calls for a complete cessation of using yuffie and any other products from the parent company, anchor, due to the discovered data theft and dishonesty.
• 💔 The script concludes with disappointment in the company's actions, especially considering Jeff's previous positive experiences with anchor products.
• ⚠️ A warning is issued about the potential for other smart devices to create security vulnerabilities in consumers' homes.

Q & A

What is the main concern expressed in the video about wireless security cameras?

The main concern is that wireless security cameras, particularly those from the company Yuffie, have been found to be uploading data, including videos, photos, and facial recognition information, to the cloud without encryption, despite marketing claims of local storage and privacy.

What feature of Yuffie cameras is criticized in the video?

The video criticizes the reset button feature on Yuffie cameras, which not only disconnects the camera but also deletes it and all associated files from the user's system, potentially allowing thieves to erase evidence by simply pressing the button.

Why does the video suggest that Yuffie's claim of 'military-grade encryption' is misleading?

The video suggests that Yuffie's claim of 'military-grade encryption' is misleading because despite such claims, the company has been found uploading user data to the cloud in an unencrypted manner, which contradicts the promise of high-level data security.

What is the significance of the mention of Forbes and Consumer Reports in the video?

Forbes and Consumer Reports are mentioned to highlight that Yuffie has been highly rated by these entities for its security and customer satisfaction. However, the video argues that these ratings may be compromised due to the recent revelations about data handling practices.

What is the relationship between Yuffie and Anchor as discussed in the video?

Yuffie is a subsidiary of Anchor, which is also the parent company of several other brands. The video discusses concerns about data privacy and security across all brands under the Anchor umbrella, given the issues with Yuffie.

Why does the video recommend against using Yuffie cameras?

The video recommends against using Yuffie cameras due to the company's alleged deceptive practices regarding data privacy, the potential for unauthorized data access, and the uploading of sensitive information to the cloud without encryption.

What alternative security camera brands does the video suggest considering?

The video suggests considering alternative security camera brands like Wise and Real Link, which offer local storage options and have not been implicated in the same data privacy issues as Yuffie.

What is the video's stance on the broader implications of the Yuffie data privacy issue?

The video expresses a broader concern about smart device data privacy and security, suggesting that if a company like Yuffie is willing to mislead consumers about data handling, it raises questions about the trustworthiness of other smart devices and their manufacturers.

What action does the video suggest consumers take in response to the Yuffie issue?

The video suggests that consumers should stop using Yuffie cameras and any products from Anchor due to the data privacy concerns. It also advises looking for alternative brands that prioritize local storage and data security.

What is the video's final verdict on promoting products from Yuffie or Anchor?

The video states that due to the serious data privacy and security issues, it will not promote any products from Yuffie or Anchor on the channel, and it advises viewers to consider the implications of using such products.

Outlines

00:00

📹 Concerns with Yuffie Security Cameras

Jeff King expresses his disappointment with Yuffie security cameras, highlighting the industry's shift towards cloud storage and the potential privacy issues it brings. He discusses Yuffie's features like night vision, motion detection, and local storage with military-grade encryption. However, he warns about a critical vulnerability where pressing the reset button on the camera can delete all associated files and remove the camera from the system, raising concerns about privacy and security.

05:00

🚫 Yuffie's Privacy Breach and Data Handling

The paragraph delves into Yuffie's privacy policy and its claims of not viewing or sharing user videos, which the speaker alleges to be a lie. Evidence is presented that Yuffie is uploading videos, photos, and facial recognition data to the cloud without encryption, contradicting their privacy promises. The speaker cites a security expert's findings and the reactions from other tech reviewers, emphasizing the severity of Yuffie's breach of trust.

10:01

🛑 Urgent Warning Against Using Yuffie and Anchor Products

Jeff King issues a strong warning against using Yuffie security cameras and any products from its parent company, Anchor. He discusses the broader implications of data theft, suggesting that if Yuffie is willing to lie about data security, other Anchor products could be at risk. He mentions his personal affection for some Anchor products but decides to stop promoting them due to the scandal. He advises viewers to stop using these products and expresses his disappointment and concern over the company's actions.

15:02

🚫 Final Thoughts on Yuffie and Future Content

In the concluding paragraph, Jeff King declares that he will no longer feature Yuffie, Anchor, or any related brands on his channel due to the security camera scandal. He expresses his regret and emphasizes the importance of trust in product endorsements. He hints at upcoming content focusing on sales and technology, promising to provide more positive and uplifting information in future videos.

Keywords

💡Wireless Security Cameras

Wireless security cameras are devices that allow homeowners to monitor their property without the need for extensive wiring. They have become increasingly popular due to their ease of installation and flexibility. In the video, the speaker discusses the rise of these cameras and how they have transitioned from simple local storage to cloud-based systems, which has led to a new business model for companies to charge monthly service fees.

💡Cloud Storage

Cloud storage refers to the practice of storing data on remote servers hosted on the internet, rather than locally on a physical device. The video mentions how companies like Nest introduced cloud storage for security cameras, which has become a standard feature. However, the speaker expresses concern over the privacy implications and the potential for companies to misuse the data stored in the cloud.

💡Local Storage

Local storage in the context of the video refers to storing video footage from security cameras on a device within the user's own network, such as a network-attached storage (NAS) device. The speaker praises companies like Wyze and others for offering local storage options, which are seen as more private and secure since the data is not sent to the cloud.

💡Military Grade Encryption

Military grade encryption is a term often used to describe the highest level of encryption available, implying that it is as secure as the encryption used by military organizations. The video discusses how Wyze claims to use such encryption for its local storage, but the speaker expresses skepticism and suggests that the company's practices may not live up to this claim.

💡Facial Recognition

Facial recognition technology enables the identification of individuals by analyzing patterns in their facial features. In the video, the speaker mentions that Wyze cameras offer facial recognition, which is a feature that can raise privacy concerns. The video suggests that Wyze may be uploading this sensitive data without proper encryption.

💡Data Privacy

Data privacy is the practice of ensuring that personal information is stored and handled in a way that prevents unauthorized access or use. The video's main theme revolves around data privacy concerns with Wyze cameras, as the speaker alleges that the company is not handling user data with the privacy and security they claim.

💡Hacking

Hacking refers to the unauthorized access to computer systems or networks with the intent to steal, change, or destroy data. The video discusses how security cameras can be vulnerable to hacking, either through physical access to the device or through digital means, which can compromise the privacy of the users.

💡APIs

APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, are sets of rules and protocols for building and interacting with software applications. The video mentions that Wyze's APIs have been found to be uploading user data to the cloud, which contradicts the company's claims about local storage and privacy.

💡Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Amazon Web Services is a comprehensive cloud computing platform provided by Amazon that offers a variety of services, including data storage. The video reveals that Wyze has been using AWS to store user data, which the speaker sees as a breach of trust given the company's promises about local storage and privacy.

💡Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports is an organization that provides reviews and ratings on various products, including consumer electronics. The video references Consumer Reports' high rating of Wyze cameras, which the speaker contrasts with the privacy issues he discusses, suggesting that the high ratings may be misleading.

💡Forbes

Forbes is a well-known business magazine that also provides rankings and reviews of companies and products. The video mentions that Forbes has recognized Wyze as one of the best home security companies, which again the speaker juxtaposes with the privacy concerns to highlight a potential disconnect between public perception and actual practices.

Highlights

Wireless security cameras have become a huge business in recent years with companies like Arlo, Blink, Wise, Real Link, Yuffie, and Nest leading the market.

Nest introduced cloud storage for cameras, leading to a monthly charge service model for companies.

Yuffie, initially known for vacuum cleaners, has now become a frontrunner in the camera market with innovative features.

Yuffie's cameras boast features like solar power, spotlight, 2K night vision, motion detection, and no need for cloud storage.

The Home Base by Yuffie acts as a network-attached storage box with local storage expandable up to 16 terabytes.

Yuffie claims to offer military-grade encryption and privacy for its cameras.

Forbes and Consumer Reports rank Yuffie's security and cameras highly for their security and customer ratings.

A major flaw in Yuffie's cameras allows them to be reset and deleted from the system with the press of a button, losing all associated data.

Yuffie's response to the reset button issue was that it operates as designed, raising concerns about transparency.

Yuffie's privacy policy claims that user video recordings won't be viewed, shared, or used by the company without permission.

Security experts have found evidence that Yuffie is uploading user data, including facial recognition information, to the cloud unencrypted.

Yuffie's use of Amazon Web Services for data storage contradicts their claims of local storage and privacy.

Linus Tech Tips and other tech reviewers have criticized Yuffie for their data handling practices.

Yuffie's parent company, Anchor, which also owns other brands like Nebula, Rove, and Soundcore, is implicated in the data scandal.

The speaker expresses a strong recommendation to stop using Yuffie and Anchor products due to privacy concerns.

The potential for smart cables and other devices to create backdoors in systems is highlighted as a broader privacy issue.

The speaker declares that Yuffie and related brands will no longer be promoted or featured on their channel due to the data scandal.

Transcripts

howdy hello guys and gals Jeff King here

back again in the tools back again here

in Montana we're home and I'm happy to

be here but not happy to be having to do

this video because this this one is

nasty now wireless security cameras have

become a huge business lately uh over

the past like handful of years or so

it's just gotten crazy Arlo And blink

and wise and real link and yuffie and

who and Nest who started off the whole

thing it used to be back in the day

you'd have your camera it's still a

store to a local hard drive and you were

good to go well then came a long nest

and they introduced the cloud and then

everyone was like we have to have a

camera because we need to store the

cloud because why because we can charge

people per month for this thing as a

service and it becomes a money pump for

these companies which fine some of them

great whatever but I want a few handful

of companies stood out yuffie being one

of them now wise also has you know the

local storage kind of thing real link

gives you direct access there's lots of

there's a few I say there's lots there's

a handful of companies that will give

you direct access but yuffie was they

they started with vacuum cleaners but

somehow they got out above in front of

everyone especially with cameras like

this now the issue that we're going to

talk about it is an issue with yuffie

and it does affect on pretty much their

entire system

and yes it is bad okay so and it and it

and I have to say this you don't click

away now because it affects more than

just yuffie or it could possibly affect

more than just goofy and with this

camera I was ready Cyber Monday I was

ready to buy this camera I had it in my

cart it's got if you can see up front

that the white part around the camera

there that's a spotlight it's got a

solar panel built into it it needs two

hours a day and it'll run all night it's

a 2K system night vision motion

detection whole nine yards and you don't

need the cloud what more could you

possibly ask for from the 200 camera

that was on sale I think it was 108 on

Amazon last night but better yet they

even offer this the home base which is

essentially a network attached storage

box you put a hard drive in it and now

you've got tons and tons of locals

expandable up to 16 terabytes of local

storage and it's look at this privacy

with military grade let's see if I can

highlight it here for you with military

grade encryption not sure who's military

they're talking about here but I'll let

you guess there we go military grade

encryption and then also get this it

does face tracking and face recognition

and you can ID it like there's mom

there's Dad that's a stranger and it

will catalog these these faces remember

it's supposed to be keeping these local

doing all this on your network or with

the base station and not sending it up

to the cloud they actually are very

adamant about that in fact how good is

this product or in fact the entire line

well let's look at over at Forbes Forbes

calls this one of their best home

security companies and it has excellent

customer ratings and one of the reasons

that they say it's so good is because of

that security they rank it 4.1 out of 5

Stars Consumer Reports ranks several of

their cameras as best choices this one

being the number five of all cameras

that you can buy and again saying one of

the top reasons Sierra's take care is

that they have very good data security

offerings a high level protection from

your data being hacked or stolen

well

I guess it depends on how you define

hacked and stolen now yes it's true

hackers have there were exploits and

this happens with about every kind of

Technology out there someone's always

finding a back door or a way to to do a

uh uh to trigger a fault on it and they

get past something or whatnot okay it

happens in the companies hopefully fix

it right well yuffies has several

different problems and it seemed like

every time I looked it got worse and

worse and worse

um the the first problem there was lots

of different issues with it with you

know faults being found and then they'd

fix them and stuff great okay and then

we saw this one major flaw they have a

feature on the camera let me see if I

can find you a picture of the camera

here and this is on all their cameras

not just this model that there is a

reset button now every camera that I own

pretty much has some sort of reset

button on it there's built into the base

there's a like there's a little button

you press you hold sets the the camera

fine which means that somebody can walk

up with this I'm using this in the

outside camera and I do use some of

these as outside cameras they're

designed for that and somebody walks up

snags the camera they can reset it and

it would take it off my network it would

kill the camera of course they could

also take a baseball bat and Bash it

that'll do the same thing well with

yuffie it does something a little

different it removes the camera from

your system it doesn't just turn it off

doesn't just disconnect it it deletes it

and it deletes all the files associated

with it immediately meaning someone's

about to steal your car they walk along

they see a camera they go oh they press

they hold the button for eight seconds

and poof they've disappeared forever you

have no data from that camera it's gone

that

is that that right there should stop you

in your tracks okay I've seen a lot of

these ones where hackers can use

software to do blah blah I'm like yeah

but are they really gonna do that have

you heard a case of hackers came in and

they they you know hacked your network

and got in and maybe some guy's Mansion

but not you know Average Joe's house

but somebody walking up grabbing your

your camera and turning it off and

having to delete all the files yeah I

could see people doing that I can see

people looking for houses with ufe

cameras just because they know they

could do that but that said that's not

the worst of it first of all yuffie

responded to the people with that

concern by saying that the uh that that

feature was designing was operating as

designed

well you know in programming language

you know it's it's only a bug until you

document then it's a feature uh that's

an interesting concept but okay moving

on

they talk about privacy a lot and I'm

gonna link to several of these Pages I'm

a link to their privacy page here where

they talk about their military grade

encryption uh and how that you know the

the ISO certification all the other

stuff that they're going to do but they

also talk about like do you does anybody

have access to to my videos you know

um will yuffie view my video recordings

and they say no your video recordings

right here your video recordings will

not be viewed shared or used by yuffie

or any for any other purpose they go on

to say that you own the cloud that you

set up your own local Cloud that they

don't have access to and only in the

instances where you specifically grant

them permission for customer service

issues will they be able to see it and

if you don't Grant it they can't see it

then it's yours and yours alone and it

will never be uploaded to the cloud and

at this point

that statement looks like a flat out lie

um this is on yuffie's own Message Board

this is constantly getting reposted

because it's been taken down yuffie's

denied it they've taken down comments

they're finally saying that it's like a

feature or something it is so what's

going on is yuffie is taking data and

this guy here has proved he's a security

expert he's proved it other people have

verified it and the apis are taking

information they're taking videos

they're taking photos

worse yet they're they're taking the

facial recognition triggers so they not

only can see what's going on they know

who's doing what they have names

associated with them and that's all

getting uploaded back to yuffie but

worse yet it's getting uploaded to the

cloud

non-encrypted

it's absolutely bizarre that they're

doing this so this guy found it on on

Amazon web services which is a if for

those you don't know it's that it's a

business to business feature that the

cloud you often hear talk about are

different companies servers that were

restoring stuff Amazon's a company that

leases out space in their servers for

you to use Google does it a bunch of

other companies do it but AWS Amazon web

services is what yuffie has been using

and they're uploading all your data all

your videos all your photos and your

facial recognition up to their Cloud so

they can do whatever they're gonna do

with it but they're flat out lying about

it I'll put a link to this and he's not

the only one Linus Tech tips jumped in

on this uh they posted a video yesterday

going oh my gosh this is ridiculous uh

and it's not just that it's unencrypted

it's the fact that they're doing it all

right and and that's not the work I

guess yeah that's probably the worst

part uh they're lying about the devices

with the local storage they're lying

about the security in fact the security

and the way it streams to the files

somebody can come up search find find

the network because it creates its own

network to the base station and

transfers the files in the open so you

can open up a VLC player link to that

stream and watch what's on their camera

so I mean the hackings people hacking is

is one thing people watching your

streams unencrypted with just any cell

phone out there with VLC installed on it

or any laptop with it is ridiculous

being able to reset the cameras and

delete the data for you not for you if

you can still see it because they've got

it on their Cloud but you can't see the

data

that that's beyond the the pale but oh

my gosh they're stealing your data and

doing God knows what with it uh it's

just there's just no two ways about it

and yuffie at this point is refusing to

comment although I did hear that they

will be encrypting the API

but that doesn't fix the problem all

that means is that guys like this who

found it won't be able to track it as

easily because they won't see the API in

the open

that's your solution okay we're gonna

fix it by making it harder for you to

call us out on what we're doing that is

this is just you how can you do this you

you can go to the Reddit page for yuffie

and that's all people are talking about

everyone's going nuts about this this is

it at this point this company is dead

there there's there's ABS you cannot

keep using these cameras folks there is

and I love it I mean uh people talked

about well TLC you know televisions they

might be telling you know going back and

telling other companies what's going on

I'm like I don't care if you know what I

watch I'll tell you if you want to know

what I watched but surveying my house uh

getting it taking you know thing files

that I think are secure or and worse yet

facial recognition software and

identification but here's the thing this

company is owned by anchor

and I've talked about anchor before and

I love anchor products I know a lot of

you do too back in the day they started

off as one of these companies that made

just the best USB products back when USB

products were trashed they constantly

broke anchor was one of the first anchor

and Aki they were like the first two

companies to make really like almost

professional grade USB products and it

they were fantastic well Aki as we know

was one of the companies along with Tac

life that was busted for buying customer

reviews on Amazon yes tons of companies

do it they just got busted for it

because they were morons and you know we

stopped promoting their products and uh

and for good reason but oh my gosh at

this point they make Aki look like

Saints because these guys are legit

stealing your data which is terrible

because I absolutely love their products

but you know what if you are worried

about a security camera giving your

information away think about on

something you plug your computer into

that computer has your bank accounts all

the websites you go to all your personal

information those photos you took with

the wife I'm not judging but I'm just

saying somebody now probably has them

because if if yuffie is willing to flat

out lie to people about this do you

think anchor is doing anything different

they're the parent company they're the

ones who are supposed to make sure stuff

like this doesn't happen the companies

don't go Rogue you know and they've

heard about this and they're not doing

anything about it they also own nebula

which are video projectors not really a

big issue Rove which is some

miscellaneous accessories for when you

travel in your car and unfortunately

sound core which if you've been around

the channel you know they're a recent

sponsor they've sent us a they just sent

me their headphones and their earpods I

gave the earpods to my daughter she

loves these things I love them how much

do I love them I just bought another set

for the younger bear mice uh with one of

the cyber monday deals and before I knew

about all of this stuff I might have to

cancel it now I don't know anyway yeah

I'm gonna have to cancel it this I'll

find something else for him I just I

cannot believe that this company would

be that desperate and that bad uh do I

believe that companies are going to do

this especially I you know you have to

admit it you know Chinese companies

accessing data in the United States and

around the world probably yeah you you

know they're going to do it and

logically speaking we are probably doing

the same thing but to do it so badly and

so obviously it's ridiculous

um and as I said you know you goofy I I

brought one of their cameras

last December I was this close to making

the switch from Wise and being like this

is it I finally found my my camera

system I'm happy with we're going this

route

and now

I'm sticking with wise for now I'm gonna

try the real link also I've tried them

before we're going to go back and forth

we'll see how they do

but the the the the the the end result

is this you got to stop using the UV

security cameras I would highly highly

recommend you stop using anything from

uh from OC or from from anchor because

you just don't know how far this goes

and what else uh that they're doing

we've uh I saw something recently about

smart cables where you plug it in and it

could create a back door into your

system uh there's no telling if they're

using that same kind of tech and if

they're willing to steal directly from

their consumers there's no reason they

wouldn't do that as well I don't like

being the the guy out there screaming

the sky is falling the sky is falling

but for this company it clearly has and

uh they're they're dead to us you will

not see them on this channel ever again

and I'm sorry to say oh maybe they fire

the CEO and they fire everyone at that

company they rebuild or something I

don't know but I can't see a situation a

reasonable situation where I would be

willing to promote out this company so

you won't see oofi you won't see Anchor

You Won't See Sound core or any of them

again here on the Dena tools and if you

have any of those products I suggest you

stop using them anyway we'll have more

uplifting information coming to you

hopefully in the not so distant future

we'll be talking about sales and other

Tech and stuff like that coming on

towards the holidays Anyway You all take

care God bless and as always Shine On