Earlier this 12 months, Anker, the Chinese language firm that makes Eufy safety cameras, supplied its customers cash in alternate for movies of package deal and automotive thefts.
The favored internet-connected safety digicam maker mentioned it might pay its prospects $2 per video to coach its AI programs to assist higher detect thieves who steal automobiles and packages.
“To make sure we have now sufficient knowledge, we’re on the lookout for movies of each actual and staged occasions, to assist practice the Al what to be looking out for,” the corporate wrote on its web site.
“You’ll be able to even create occasions by pretending to be a thief and donate these occasions,” the web site reads. “You’ll be able to full this shortly. Perhaps one act may be captured by your two out of doors cameras concurrently, making it environment friendly and simple. When you additionally stage a automotive door theft, you may earn $80.”
Eufy additionally wrote that “the information collected from these staged occasions is used solely for coaching our Al algorithms and never for some other functions.”
This initiative reveals that firms are keen to pay to get customers’ knowledge they assume may be helpful to coach their AI fashions. Whereas this offers some customers the flexibility to get worth out of their very own knowledge, there are safety and privateness dangers concerned.
Living proof: Final week, TechCrunch discovered that Neon, a viral calling app that supplied cash to customers keen to share recordings and transcripts of their calls, had a safety flaw that allowed customers to entry some other consumer’s knowledge. After being alerted of the safety lapse, Neon went offline.
Lots of of hundreds of movies ‘donated’ to coach AI
Eufy’s marketing campaign providing $2 per video for theft movies ran from December 18, 2024, to February 25, 2025. Greater than 120 customers responded on the marketing campaign’s announcement web page saying they participated in it, in keeping with feedback posted by customers there.
The corporate’s aim was to gather 20,000 movies every of package deal thefts and of “pulling automotive doorways.” Eufy customers may take part by filling out a Google Kind the place they may add movies and their PayPal account for cost.
Eufy didn’t reply to TechCrunch’s requests for remark and our questions, reminiscent of what number of customers participated within the marketing campaign, how a lot cash it paid these customers, what number of movies the corporate collected, and whether or not the corporate deleted the collected movies after coaching its AI programs.
Since then, Eufy has related campaigns aimed toward incentivizing its prospects to ship in movies to coach their AI.
As of the time of publication, via one other in-app marketing campaign that Eufy calls the Video Donation Program to enhance its AI programs, Eufy additionally presents customers rewards that vary from an “Apprentice Medal,” which seems to easily be a badge subsequent to the consumer’s title within the app, to presents reminiscent of cameras or reward playing cards.
Eufy is barely asking for movies involving people for this marketing campaign.
The Eufy app additionally reveals an “Honor Wall” that ranks customers who’ve donated probably the most video occasions. The chief of the rating has donated 201,531 movies, in keeping with the app.
Within the app’s web page for the donation program, Eufy clarifies that “donated movies are solely used for Al coaching and enchancment. Eufy is not going to present the video to 3rd events.”
Eufy additionally asks customers to donate movies recorded with the corporate’s child displays. The assist web page detailing the steps to share the movies doesn’t point out any cash reward for these movies.
Eufy didn’t reply when requested about this explicit initiative.
There are causes to be uncertain of Eufy’s commitments to guard customers’ privateness. In 2023, The Verge revealed that the corporate tried to cowl up that customers’ digicam streams, which the corporate marketed as end-to-end encrypted, had been unencrypted when accessed via its net portal.
After a back-and-forth with the tech information web site, Anker admitted it misled customers and promised to repair the difficulty.
This text was initially revealed on October 1.
