Comcast is clarifying what data its WiFi Motion feature collects after customers voiced concerns about privacy and the possibility of law enforcement accessing the information. The feature, part of the company’s new Xfinity Shield platform, uses Wi-Fi signals between newer Xfinity Gateways and connected devices to detect movement in a home without cameras, images, video, or audio. The company says the service is opt-in only, but a support page clause noting that data could be shared if legally compelled has drawn criticism from users, including some on the r/Comcast subreddit who said they are considering replacing their leased gateways with their own equipment.
According to Comcast spokesperson Meagan Sloan, WiFi Motion keeps a record of motion activity in the Xfinity app for up to seven days. She said that if the company receives a valid subpoena, court order, search warrant, or other lawful legal process, it may be required to disclose information generated by the feature, consistent with applicable law. When asked whether Comcast could remotely enable the feature under legal compulsion or view the data in real time, Sloan said WiFi Motion is opt-in only by a customer and that the company does not monitor customers’ motion activity or notifications in real time, but she did not address whether the technical ability exists.
The data collected includes motion event information indicating when movement is detected between a connected device and the Xfinity Gateway, as well as which Wi-Fi-connected device detected the motion. Examples include alerts like “Motion detected by LG TV” or “Motion detected by Hallway smart speaker.” The company says the data does not include images, video, audio, or identifying information about people or pets. Motion activity is stored in Comcast’s cloud system for up to seven days so users can review recent events in the app.
The feature includes a pet sensitivity setting intended to keep animals under 40 pounds from triggering alerts, but it cannot specifically distinguish pets from people and instead evaluates size. Sloan said larger objects generally create greater signal disruption, while smaller objects create less. Comcast warns that this approach is imprecise, especially for children under 40 pounds, meaning the system can indicate whether someone was in the house but not who.
Wi-Fi sensing can operate through walls, and Comcast says its implementation requires fixed Wi-Fi devices that are always powered, so phones and laptops do not count. Users choose which devices detect activity during setup, which could theoretically allow someone to track movement through a home by observing which devices register motion. For customers who want to avoid the feature entirely, Comcast suggests placing the Xfinity Gateway into bridge mode and connecting a third-party router, since WiFi Motion only works between devices connected to the Gateway and cannot detect anything if none are connected.
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