Cnet has a report on the security concerns with devices that listen to us:
http://www.cnet.com/news/our-devices...ut-do-we-care/
Quote:
Companies say the risks are worth the gains, and they can be trusted. For example, Amazon keeps all the information Echo gathers securely protected in its servers, a company spokeswoman said. Any recordings it makes are, "Tied to your account to allow the service to be personalized for each user."
Asleep, but listening
The Echo's microphones aren't always broadcasting to the Internet. According to Amazon's frequently asked questions page, the Echo will only start recording and connecting to the Internet if you utter a "wake" word, like "Alexa" or "Amazon."
The Echo listens for the word using a voice recognition process that keeps data stored only on the device, Amazon said. When Echo does send information to the cloud, a ring positioned at the top of the device lights up. You can manually turn the microphone off if you want, and you can delete any audio Amazon has stored, but the company warns that "may degrade your experience."
Google and Apple offer similar systems for their respective Android and iOS-powered devices, using "OK, Google" and "Hey Siri." Microsoft's Xbox One video game console responds a myriad commands that begin with "Xbox."
Like with Amazon's Echo, Apple's Siri doesn't transmit any recordings to the Internet when it's idly waiting for a request. When commands are made, they're transmitted to the Internet, but with safeguards in place to protect the identity of the user. For instance, when Siri is turned on, the device creates random identifiers so the servers don't know it's you making the request. Google's voice assistant service works largely the same way.
|
Quote:
School teacher Elkins understands companies ultimately want to make more money off him using his data. But he's OK with it, as long as he gets something in return.
"It's a tradeoff," he said. "I'm willing to view Google ads in order to use Google for free, and I'm willing to allow Amazon to target me with ads if it means they're putting some (research and development) into pushing the boundaries for consumer tech."
|