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.
We don’t know that.
I agree, I believe them too. And I think the proof will be when these “recordings” are released... they are going to get a bunch of “Alexa” answers. I think this is right up there with “Q” and “Global Warming”. The echo is one of the best things I’ve purchased, love it. And if she can listen to me, it’s gonna be boring as hell.
I’m sure they have covered themselves legally IF it records without using using the wakeup words- I’ll bet there is some fine print somewhere stating that
What Amazon engineers do is irrelevant, of course those companies would never sell a device that is basically a glorified wiretap. But it’s a piece of hardware with a microphone and an IP address. All that stands in the way of it becoming a glorified wiretap is a wake word and whatever IP security you have. Do you feel lucky?
Fortunatly most people’s daily conversations are not really of much interest of value and Google and Amazon have plausible deniability. But hackers are everywhere and everything gets hacked. How would receiving a voice recording of a private convesation in your home when you did not activate the device make you feel? It did these people:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/24/alexa_recording_couple/
There was the couple that were having a private conversation - luckily it was about floor coverings or something. Echo (or similar) picked it up and sent it to the husband’s business team associate - and it was playing in real time iirc. The asscociate called them up and told them what was going on.
A friend of mine’s smart phone picked up a conversation of his and a neighbor talking about the neighbor’s new lawn mower, and how he should get a new one. “So what model is this..”, etc. First time he ever really thought about a new mower.
He goes inside, logs in on his PC and the internet - and there is an ad for that model lawn mower! With no prompting by him.