Amazon shut down smart home because of misheard doorbell response –

Amazon recently shut down a customer’s smart home, depriving them of access to lights, heating and air conditioning for more than a week.

The situation was covered by YouTuber Louis Rossman, but essentially revolved around a misheard doorbell. When an Amazon delivery person handed out a package, they believed the doorbell they heard contained a racist comment. They reported the problem to Amazon, which immediately shut down the customer’s smart home functionality without any wrongdoing on their part.

The customer did manage to get their functionality back online, but this was not an immediate fix. The situation has created a debate around smart homes and what kind of power they give to corporations when a home may have many essential functions shut down due to a miscommunication.

Do you have a smart home?