Alexa AI - all your Echo data are ours

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by theducks

Technically you gave them permission when you agreed to the TOU.
Which was my gripe with folk who use those apps and I did not agree to their TOU.

Look at how many small businesses have a Gmail address

That's why I would never agree to using one of these things. I know how these corporations work. You agree to the terms of usage (a contract) and they invariably change the terms midstream. At that point you have two choices. Your either agree to the changes in the contract, or you can quit using the product you paid for. That's it.

As for Gmail (and others) I'm slowly working my way out of them. Vivaldi has become my main email provider (though I don't know if they're any better or not). I've tried creating my own (personal) email address, but it's useless because you can't get off the SPAM lists.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by theducks

Technically you gave them permission when you agreed to the TOU.
Which was my gripe with folk who use those apps and I did not agree to their TOU.

Look at how many small businesses have a Gmail address

There are a lot of businesses that contract with google or microsoft to host their email services but the email addresses are for their own domain.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

There are a lot of businesses that contract with google or microsoft to host their email services but the email addresses are for their own domain.

Which is no different than creating an account with Google or Microsoft if you're trying to get away from them. I'm talking about being completely independent from Google or Microsoft by creating your own domain and email server. Technically it's not a problem to do this. But you simply can't get your own (independent) email domain to not be put on the SPAM lists. At least that's been my experience.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by theducks

Technically you gave them permission when you agreed to the TOU.
Which was my gripe with folk who use those apps and I did not agree to their TOU.

Look at how many small businesses have a Gmail address

Originally Posted by j.p.s

There are a lot of businesses that contract with google or microsoft to host their email services but the email addresses are for their own domain.

Originally Posted by rcentros

Which is no different than creating an account with Google or Microsoft if you're trying to get away from them.

Which was my point (and was in response as an addition to theducks' observation in his last sentence). Also, employees of some (most, all?) of those companies are required to use their "company" email address in work related email. So even if your email provider is completely google and microsoft free you might be exchanging a lot of email with them and not even know it. (I am not advocating throwing in the towel and getting an account with them.)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Graham44

I can see what you are saying, it's a conversation between two people not a group, but no I wouldn't have a private conversation or expect it to be in this sort of setting as anyone has the right to be within earshot of what you are saying (if using a normal volume of conversation)

I do expect privacy in my own home though and I don't hide the fact I do not trust big tech or their gadgets but equally I admit I could well be wrong in this thinking which is why I respect the fact that people like to have this sort of tech and use it and who believe it respects your privacy, they could well be right and I could be wrong, I just don't see any advantage, for me, in introducing something to where I live that I don't trust

Privacy on the Internet is a a hallucination.

[Graham44]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Privacy on the Internet is a a hallucination.

True, but at least you can turn of a PC and absolutely know it's not listening to you

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Graham44

True, but at least you can turn of a PC and absolutely know it's not listening to you

What is it you imagine you can't turn off and be sure it's not listening?

I know what you're getting at, but it's a bit of a specious argument. My PC stays on 24/7 and I'm absolutely certain it's not listening to me.

And all of my Echo devices have a button to turn off the microphone should I ever come down with a case of the paranoids.

[Graham44]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

What is it you imagine you can't turn off and be sure it's not listening?

I know what you're getting at, but it's a bit of a specious argument. My PC stays on 24/7 and I'm absolutely certain it's not listening to me.

And all of my Echo devices have a button to turn off the microphone should I ever come down with a case of the paranoids.

It comes down to trust, you trust Amazon, I don't, it's not a right/ wrong situation just personal decisions.

I use a kind of simple equation (?) when assessing anything like this, for example:

Would this device make my life easier: No

Do I trust the corporation who provides it/ their data handling: No

Does the device have some legitimate uses: Yes

Is their a potential for the device to compromise my confidential information: Yes

Can this be mitigated?: No, if you want to use the device

So for me that would come out as a net negative, which is why I wouldn't personally have one.

I'm sure some people will cry out in anguish ' ohhh Amazon would never do that!!' but I personally think Amazon could stoop as low as that, and thats where personal opinion comes in to the equation.

I'm not trying to change anyones mind just putting across my viewpoint and why I would never own a 'smart' speaker

[leaston]

I'm late to the conversation, but thought I'd share my experience with Alexa...

I had a few devices dotted around my home and used them quite a lot. After reading somewhere online that you can access every command recording ever made by Alexa via your Amazon account, I went digging.

Sure enough, buried in my account was a list of every single command sent to Alexa devices I own, all dated and time stamped, along with the recordings. Two of them stood out and were the reason I immediately disabled them all and have never used one since.

On two recordings, I suspect I said something (I have a fairly strong Northern English accent) that the device heard as 'Alexa) and it began to record. In both cases, it was private telephone calls with family.

That was the end for me and this new measure from Amazon is even more disturbing. Nope.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Graham44

It comes down to trust, you trust Amazon, I don't, it's not a right/ wrong situation just personal decisions.

I use a kind of simple equation (?) when assessing anything like this, for example:

Would this device make my life easier: No

Do I trust the corporation who provides it/ their data handling: No

Does the device have some legitimate uses: Yes

Is their a potential for the device to compromise my confidential information: Yes

Can this be mitigated?: No, if you want to use the device

So for me that would come out as a net negative, which is why I wouldn't personally have one.

I'm sure some people will cry out in anguish ' ohhh Amazon would never do that!!' but I personally think Amazon could stoop as low as that, and thats where personal opinion comes in to the equation.

I'm not trying to change anyones mind just putting across my viewpoint and why I would never own a 'smart' speaker

That's all well and good. I was simply pointing out that the ability to power down an internet-connected electronic device is quite irrelevant to discussions about privacy.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Privacy on the Internet is a a hallucination.

Originally Posted by Graham44

True, but at least you can turn of a PC and absolutely know it's not listening to you

[theducks]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

There are a lot of businesses that contract with google or microsoft to host their email services but the email addresses are for their own domain.

Those will have a different TOU (and probably a bit more services).

I had a registered domain that was hosted at Best Internet (on their servers) back in the dialup days.

There are also CoLo hosts, where you rent rack space and connectivity, but it is your equipment and its operational maintenance (they supply power, light and A/C)

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Graham44

True, but at least you can turn of a PC and absolutely know it's not listening to you

You can power off a smart speaker (by unplugging it) and have the same assurance. Plus the mute button.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by leaston

I'm late to the conversation, but thought I'd share my experience with Alexa...

I had a few devices dotted around my home and used them quite a lot. After reading somewhere online that you can access every command recording ever made by Alexa via your Amazon account, I went digging.

Sure enough, buried in my account was a list of every single command sent to Alexa devices I own, all dated and time stamped, along with the recordings. Two of them stood out and were the reason I immediately disabled them all and have never used one since.

On two recordings, I suspect I said something (I have a fairly strong Northern English accent) that the device heard as 'Alexa) and it began to record. In both cases, it was private telephone calls with family.

That was the end for me and this new measure from Amazon is even more disturbing. Nope.

The Alexa I have sitting next to me is not called Alexa. That way there is a lot less chance of accidentally triggering it when it's not supposed to be triggered, Also, there is a setting in the Alexa app to turn off saving of recordings.

The South Park Alexa episode is a very good reason to rename your Alexa.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by theducks

Those will have a different TOU...

Not sure that I trust that they live up to their end.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

You can power off a smart speaker (by unplugging it) and have the same assurance. Plus the mute button.

If you remember to.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

If you remember to.

Of course. I imagine the pool of people who both value a smart speaker but also don't feel comfortable with it listening in is very small. But for those people, that is their responsibility.