Amazon to Charge Non-Prime Consumers to Use Alexa

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Amazon has introduced Alexa Plus (Alexa+), an upgrade to the Alexa voice assistant that uses generative artificial intelligence. The Alexa voice assistant is also available on Amazon's range of smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo.

Background

Consumers have widely embraced the Internet of Things (IoT) over many years, purchasing both control devices and controlled devices. Until 2025, Amazon had been content with generating revenue from device sales as sufficient payment for the IoT services offered through their Alexa platform. However, an issue arose when Amazon sought to access consumer data. Rather than restricting Alexa's functionality to basic device control (such as turning devices on and off), the company expanded the platform's capabilities from simply controlling devices to implement more data collection and monitoring to profit off of consumer data.

In March of 2025, Amazon Echo changed the terms of voice usage, removing the "Do Not Send Voice" feature at the same time as Alexa's capabilities were expanded with generative AI features.

Adding a subscription cost

Amazon is rolling out a new service called "Alexa+", analogous to the streaming channels that emerged when the entertainment industry recognized the potential profit in encouraging consumers to "cut the cord." These channels sought subscription revenue from both live broadcasts and reruns, believing that audience loyalty extended beyond specific providers. However, they discovered that viewers were more loyal to specific shows than entire channels, so many consumers were reluctant to pay for such niche channels.

Alexa+ will be available at no additional cost to Prime members. For non-Prime customers, the service will cost $19.99 per month, a notably higher fee than the $14.99 monthly cost of a Prime membership.

Should Amazon fail to successfully implement this change, it could have broad repercussions across related markets. This may greatly negatively impact Amazon and their Alexa brands, as well as the manufacturers of devices compatible with Alexa. An incident in June 2025 involved Sengled, a producer of Alexa-controlled lightbulbs, where they experienced a malfunction that caused them to suddenly stop working.

Amazon's response

If applicable, add the proposed solution to the issues by the company.

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Lawsuit

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Claims

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Rebuttal

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Outcome

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Consumer response

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See also

• Amazon Echo changes terms of voice usage