What are the issues with Amazon Alexa privacy? By now, you’ve probably seen at least one movie where an advanced work of technology (namely, artificial intelligence) disobeys, disrupts, or attempts to overcome the human race. You might have thought it was a great idea for a story, possibly even frightening. But what do we make of those movies now? Artificial intelligence is here, and it’s learning about you quicker than you know.
Artificial intelligence needs to learn to be effective, and in order to learn, it will record, calculate, and analyze every piece of data you input. That’s right, Alexa could be watching everything you do, and listening to everything you say, because that’s what you agree to when you first enable her. If it sounds scary, that’s because it is. But should we really be worrying? Let’s take a look at the truths behind 5 of the biggest Alexa privacy concerns
1. If Alexa is always listening, is Amazon always listening too?
It should be clear that in order to be available at all times, Alexa will always need to be listening. Alexa will save 60 seconds of audio that comes before its wake word, so that it is ready to quickly carry out a task based on that recorded context. This 60-second audio is saved locally directly into the system and not over the web or sent to anybody else. When a new command is given, the previous 60-second file is overwritten by the new 60-second file. Amazon assures customers that these files are not stored.
What users are afraid of is what data is being instantly transmitted and to where. Amazon’s answer to this worry is that although Alexa is alert 24/7, only the commands and Alexa’s responses to those commands are transmitted to the company. If it still spooks you out, you can always mute or turn off Alexa when you aren’t in need of its assistance.
2. Does Alexa store your recordings forever?
As mentioned earlier, the recordings are saved locally into Alexa. You can easily find the saved 60-second audio file on the homepage of your Alexa application. From there, you can delete it if it’s bothering you. If you are not okay with the 60-second recordings, you can completely disable them in the settings. But keep in mind that this means Alexa’s comprehension and learning ability will be set to its very minimum.
3.Hackers, hackers everywhere
It’s no secret that artificial intelligence gathers a lot of information on its user. As one of the best AI assistants on the market, Alexa is no exception. So what’s the risk with hackers? Truth is. any and all devices can be hacked ranging from your cell phones to your computer. Your Alexa device can get hacked if someone put the time and effort into it. If you want to completely extinguish the possibility of getting hacked, you need to separate yourself from technology. So, yes, Alexa devices can get hacked, but will they be? Highly unlikely, unless you’re targeted by law enforcement. Amazon is confident in the Alexa devices’ security from information thieves, stating that they have considered the risks and put a lot of time and effort into maximizing protection of information.
4. What if others in your house are using Alexa?
What about the rest of the household? If you have roommates, family members, or any other people who have access to your house, the bad news is that they are capable of using Alexa, since it does not recognize voice. This means that they have access to any and all accounts you have linked to your Alexa devices. Imagine finding a charge to your credit card because some unknown person in your house ordered a GoPro through Alexa, via your Amazon account. Not exactly a nice surprise.
Fortunately, there’s a setting that turns on password protection for purchases. You can find that under settings>voice purchasing. This password is accepted verbal, so just be sure that no one is around when you’re saying the secret code — this is important for maintaining your Alexa privacy.
5. Is your recorded data being sold by Amazon?
Unlike Google, Amazon is very stubborn about keeping saved personal data to themselves. Developers have been trying to get their hands on Alexa recordings, but Amazon has kept them off-limits. Releasing this kind of information could welcome a new age of unwanted ads and marketing through voice assistants, but for now, all saved recordings are sent only to Amazon.