Amazon Echo changes terms of voice usage: Difference between revisions

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 ==Background==
-Alexa as a service is based around an edge client + cloud service model where a physical device acts as a conduit between voice and the cloud. This raises substantial privacy concerns as it is, because the lack of open source means that no one actually knows whether privacy settings are respected. However, much like Apple, Amazon assured customers through its settings interface that enabling the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" setting would utilize exclusively local processing, sending your data to the cloud only "for features that require the transmission of audio, such as when you make a call or send a message or announcement via Alexa."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Turn on Do Not Send Voice Recordings |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GQXLLWHBCVL6L5QD |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Amazon Customer Support}}</ref> Local processing was available as a server on the Echo (4th Gen), Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15, and could be utilized by lower power or older devices as clients.<ref name=":1" />
+Alexa as a service is based around an edge client + cloud service model where a physical device acts as a conduit between voice and the cloud. This raises substantial privacy concerns as it is, because the lack of open source means that no one actually knows whether privacy settings are respected. However, much like Apple, Amazon assured customers through its settings interface that enabling the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" setting would utilize exclusively local processing, sending your data to the cloud only "for features that require the transmission of audio, such as when you make a call or send a message or announcement via Alexa."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Turn on Do Not Send Voice Recordings |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GQXLLWHBCVL6L5QD |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/cvDM8 |archive-date=2026-01-04 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Amazon Customer Support}}</ref> Local processing was available as a server on the Echo (4th Gen), Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15, and could be utilized by lower power or older devices as clients.<ref name=":1" />
 From archival analysis of the [https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201602230 Alexa FAQ] page, it can be estimated that this feature was introduced in early to mid 2022, given the first available archived copy of the page was in September 2022. As of writing, this page still includes this feature despite its imminent removal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alexa and Alexa Device FAQs |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201602230 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901001441/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201602230 |archive-date=2022-09-01 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Amazon Customer Support}}</ref> This likely means that the Echo (4th Gen) was not launched with this feature, as it was launched 10/22/2020<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=2020-09-24 |title=Amazon redesigns the Echo with a new spherical design and a custom machine learning processor |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/24/21452347/amazon-echo-4th-generation-features-price-release-date-alexa |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241212183356/https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/24/21452347/amazon-echo-4th-generation-features-price-release-date-alexa |archive-date=2024-12-12 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The Verge}}</ref> with the Echo Show 10 following not long after on 2/25/2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seifert |first=Dan |date=2021-02-24 |title=Amazon Echo Show 10 review: Alexa’s next move |url=https://www.theverge.com/22297810/amazon-echo-show-10-2021-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317152944/https://www.theverge.com/22297810/amazon-echo-show-10-2021-review |archive-date=2025-03-17 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The Verge}}</ref> However, the Echo Show 15 (2023) and Echo Show 15 (2024) were both launched since, as implied by their names, and even the former was announced after this feature was unveiled.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tuohy |first=Jennifer Pattison |date=2022-12-16 |title=Amazon Echo Show 15 review: Alexa’s on your wall |url=https://www.theverge.com/22839220/amazon-echo-show-15-review-wall-mounted-alexa-tablet-kitchen-tv |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307173006/https://www.theverge.com/22839220/amazon-echo-show-15-review-wall-mounted-alexa-tablet-kitchen-tv |archive-date=2025-03-07 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The Verge}}</ref>
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 Amazon claims in the email that "[t]he Alexa experience is designed to protect your privacy and keep your data secure." However, they do not appear to elaborate on this further than redirecting customers to the Alexa Privacy Hub, which cites features like the microphone toggle button and the ability to go back through already saved recordings and delete them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alexa Privacy Hub |url=https://www.amazon.com/b/?node=19149155011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220192838/https://www.amazon.com/Alexa-Privacy-Hub/b?ie=UTF8&node=19149155011 |archive-date=2025-02-20 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Amazon.com}}</ref>
-It is worth noting that other companies like Apple that admit to sending some voice/speech data for processing at least claim to use confidential computing ([[wikipedia:Confidential_computing|read more on Wikipedia]]) techniques like [https://security.apple.com/blog/private-cloud-compute/ Private Cloud Compute]. While these are not fully open-source solutions, these privacy-preserving technologies are audited externally and claim to be inaccessible to employees. Amazon has, in the past, admitted some recordings "undergo anonymized human review,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scarcella |first=Mike |date=2024-10-31 |title=Amazon denies duping US consumers over Alexa’s recording practices |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/amazon-denies-duping-us-consumers-over-alexas-recording-practices-2024-10-31/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Reuters}}</ref>" so it is evident these recordings are not fully autonomously processed in such a way.
+It is worth noting that other companies like Apple that admit to sending some voice/speech data for processing at least claim to use confidential computing ([[wikipedia:Confidential_computing|read more on Wikipedia]]) techniques like [https://security.apple.com/blog/private-cloud-compute/ Private Cloud Compute]. While these are not fully open-source solutions, these privacy-preserving technologies are audited externally and claim to be inaccessible to employees. Amazon has, in the past, admitted some recordings "undergo anonymized human review,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scarcella |first=Mike |date=2024-10-31 |title=Amazon denies duping US consumers over Alexa’s recording practices |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/amazon-denies-duping-us-consumers-over-alexas-recording-practices-2024-10-31/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/xWyGC |archive-date=2026-01-04 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Reuters}}</ref>" so it is evident these recordings are not fully autonomously processed in such a way.
 ==Consumer response==
-The response to this issue has been varied--some consumers, such as many in [https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/1jb8qwx/psa_amazon_alexa_discontinuing_do_not_send_voice/ this Reddit thread], are quite displeased with the removal of the feature, with comments like "Great opportunity to discontinue Amazon Alexa!" and "We will spy on you and you will like it." However, media outlets have circulated a claim by Amazon that only 0.03% of users used the feature,<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-19 |title=Amazon ends little-used privacy feature that let Echo users opt out of sending recordings to company |url=https://apnews.com/article/amazon-privacy-echo-7fb3c19fa7f664bde5c5be259f8b23ee |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The Associated Press}}</ref> so it is likely that this will go broadly unnoticed whether it is positive or negative.
+The response to this issue has been varied--some consumers, such as many in [https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/1jb8qwx/psa_amazon_alexa_discontinuing_do_not_send_voice/ this Reddit thread], are quite displeased with the removal of the feature, with comments like "Great opportunity to discontinue Amazon Alexa!" and "We will spy on you and you will like it." However, media outlets have circulated a claim by Amazon that only 0.03% of users used the feature,<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-19 |title=Amazon ends little-used privacy feature that let Echo users opt out of sending recordings to company |url=https://apnews.com/article/amazon-privacy-echo-7fb3c19fa7f664bde5c5be259f8b23ee |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/I66JT |archive-date=2026-01-04 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The Associated Press}}</ref> so it is likely that this will go broadly unnoticed whether it is positive or negative.
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
 [[Category:Amazon Echo]]