If you have a Amazon Echo in your home it is possible that it is listening to all conversations when it isn't playing something you asked for.
Now we have a murder case and this figures into it. Did "Alexa" hear everything having to do with a murder? The Prosecutors are asking for anything that might have been taped by Alexa on the Echo.
The implications of this go far reaching other than a criminal case. Think about divorce or any matter that could be be litigated.
Can it be argued that there is no expectation of privacy if you have a Amazon Echo in your home and you know it can record all your conversations when in range of the microphone?
Very slippery slope here. Any comments???????
Yeah, do not buy an Echo. Block all cameras. Assume Big Brother is watching and listening.
Amazon claims that echo doesn’t record unless the “wake up” word is used. I have no reason to doubt them.
Think of it this way, you’re an Amazon engineer. You can set up Alexa to perform as claimed OR you can put your company in an easy position to be sued by tens of millions of people. That Amazon is secretly recording everyone makes no sense, regardless of what the conspiracy theorists believe.
“Can it be argued that there is no expectation of privacy if you have a Amazon Echo in your home and you know it can record all your conversations when in range of the microphone?”
The expectation is that it does NOT record all conversations.
Smart TVs can do the same thing.
A few years back a school gave all of its students laptops. Unbeknownst to the students or their parents, the school’s IT department installed software onto those laptops that allowed the school to turn on the cameras remotely, at any time. To believe you are not recorded and photographed based on search criteria that you enter into your computer is very naive. If you don’t care, fine. If you do, cover your phone camera and microphone when not in use.
I would certainly be willing to argue that with a straight face. And don't forget that, at least officially, the recording isn't a government action. (Any good conspiracy theorist knows where big tech gets its money, with only a few strings attached).
If it’s recorded somewhere, some lawyer will subpoena it.
In a related story:
Amazon has just hired HilLIARy Clinton to provide post-subpoena data ‘manglement’ service on an open-ended contract.
Also an amendment contract has been negotiated for cell-phone and server-sized hammers
I received an Echo device from one of my well-meaning grand kids for fathers day... It remains in it’s box in my garage junk pile... When she asked me where it was and why I wasn’t using it, I told her I objected to the invasion of my privacy... The same reason I won’t go to her fakebook page...
So I received another Fathers Day present from her 3-weeks after Fathers Day...
Never would have one of those things on my property.