To think my echo listens to me

[homefromworklate]

Just that really. We have an amazon echo in the front room and I just get this creepy feeling that it's just sat listening to me. It must be listening as it needs to be ready for commands but just feels creepy. Same in my office at work, we have a google home. I'm Sure they'll be someone out there with the skills to hack them! Not that I have anything interesting to say!

I also feel the same way about the cameras on my phone and laptop, there was once a tech and security expert being interviewed on telly who said he always places a small sticker over phone and laptop cameras.

YANBU - google it. Then get rid of the damn thing. They are childishly easy to hack AND the companies that sell then have a vested interest in gathering as much info about you as possible. Info that is used and stored forever...

The thing is I don't actually use it. It was a gift and it was used due to novelty effect initially. I'd still just rather google something using my phone and we have a wireless Bose speaker that we use for music. I think I might just unplug!

Of course they're listening to you - how else would they know you've said the word needed to activate them?!

I think they're creepy and I don't understand why so many people willingly buy them and have them in their homes.

I love mine, I use it as the kitchen radio. You just say 'Play BBC Radio 4' or 'Play Magic Radio UK'. It's no more likely to be doing anything nefarious than all the phones and tablets everyone has.

Mine can listen all it wants - I'm boring as hell

Turn off the power when you're not wanting it to play music etc.

It doesn't bother me, if they want to listen to Ds asking how often elephants fart and know that I like jazz and country music then fine. We turn it off when it's not being used and don't use it for anything sensitive or for online purchasing,

Course she is. Inadvertently played a file from the echo/alexa app on my phone. It had recorded everything my DD2 had been saying to it. Spooky. Seriously, if Alexa had arms and legs she’d be murdering us all in our beds.

I can't see why people get so bothered but this? None of the conversations I have could be used against me. I dont go round talking about my passwords or bank details. Sure, they might try to market to me differently. So what?
Also it isn't new, play stations have been using voice commands for ages. Anything with a microphone could n used to record you.

Sometimes a do have loud conversations near Alexa about how expensive Amazon is getting an how I'm thinking of cancelling my membership because it amuses me to see if I then get any deals.

So log as no one is contacting me i really don't care. Tesco knows what I eat, Amazon already knows what I buy, it now knows what music I listen to and that I like asking cat questions. Easyjet knows where I holiday and Asos knows my body size. So what?

Of course it's listening to you - that's the whole idea!

The objection that most people have to these devices, including smart tv's, is that the information they glean on us had a resale value and will be passed down the line many times to whoever wants to buy it

You only have to look at the current concerns about the Russians and North Korea meddling in the elections here and in the US to see what level of manipulation your information could be used for.

I always find the "I have nothing to hide" point of view a bit depressing. Also seen when discussing CCTV cameras. Of course most of have nothing to hide, and some of us have no qualms about lack of privacy. Until you do. Like when people who have miscarried get marketing directed at them from baby shops. Or until someone or some government decides that the perfectly normal thing you do will be used against you. Which happens daily, around the world in various regimes (freedom of the press in places for example). And by then the fact that things like this have been allowed to creep into our society without challenge will be hard to undo.

Or until someone or some government decides that the perfectly normal thing you do will be used against you. Which happens daily, around the world in various regimes

Can you give an example?

The Echo listens all of the time, it has been used as evidence in murder cases.

As far as I know,. the Google Home isn't constantly listening to everything but even so, the mic can be turned off.

Lady, saying anything remotely negative or disrespectful about the government can land you in jail in many countries. For example.

I think they're creepy and I don't understand why so many people willingly buy them and have them in their homes.

Me too.

They feel a bit skynet to me! I won one last year -gave it away as a Christmas present to a tech lover, he loves it.

Do you have a mobile phone? That’s a listening device! And much easier to hack by randoms than an Echo

We're slouching blindfold into dystopia, I tell you!

Do you have an iPhone? It's always listening waiting for you to say "Hey Siri". Do you have an Android? It's always listening waiting for you to say "Ok, Google". As is the Google Home. The Echo has us listening just like all the other devices and memory wipes after one second, unless it hears Alexa (or whatever your wake word is).

If any of you have an iPhone, leave it on the side switched on but screen black, then say "hey Siri" your phone will wake up and start listening for what you want (providing you have the Siri service switched on of course). It can do that if it's not waiting for it's wake word.

I also use my Echdot as the kitchen radio. On occasion we ask it questions rather than Google (phones etc are a no no at meal times here). I like it.

LadyBunnysWig

There are many examples of social media posts being used to prosecute people for protesting the government or doing something the government doesn't like.

www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/05/turkish-police-arrests-social-media-protest

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/19/british-man-imprisoned-in-dubai-over-facebook-post/

www.hrw.org/report/2017/07/18/online-and-all-fronts/russias-assault-freedom-expression

wow! That was a genuine request btw, I just read it back and it comes across a little sharp. Thanks for the info!

That's ok. From the Russia article:

For example, in 2016, parliament passed a law requiring telecommunications and internet companies to retain the contents of all communications for six months and data about those communications for three years. The law makes it easier for the authorities to identify users and access personal information without judicial oversight

I'm sure it won't be long before they amend this with metadata from Alexa etc. I imagine a Russian would think you'd be mad to own one. You'd like to think it couldn't happen in our society...I'm not saying we all need to don tinfoil hats, but it's naive to think the data collected couldn't be misused.

I’m not too bothered at the moment as any information gathered is used for marketing but I am scared of government agencies getting their hands on it and access to us and our homes through devices.
Imagine getting a fascist regime in. Libraries are closing, books could all be rewritten ebooks, entertainment will be reality or propaganda tv, we ll be watched continuously.
Big brother, here we come.