Thousands of Amazon Employees Listen to Alexa Requests for Improvement Purposes [Updated]

[LovingTeddy]

you're kidding right? THis is standard MO for most massive companies. They think they are above the law, and in the USA, they mostly are.

Why do people taking privacy on the internet so seriously? LOL... I never understand any of this outrageous... it seems to me that people just realized that big corporations and government sucks out all the information it can. Welcome to the age of internet and welcome to the connected world. I am seriously can’t believe any of these news surpising nor I remotely care.

Just not getting the outrage

 

[cmaier]

I stand with Amazon. They are an honest company run by an honest man. I have nothing to hide. They have no agenda other than to deliver the best speaker with the best voice assistant, which, I might add, is something Apple FAILED to do with the HomePod. And we all know how shady Apple is. Their privacy stance is a farce.

“I have nothing to hide.”

Jeff Bezos in the house.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Apparently, Google and Amazon seem to think there is some merit to listening in.

I guess you missed the part of the article says Apple has its employee listen to the Siri queries as well?

 

[R.P.G]

this is scary..

Yesterday in office we(three people) just had a discussion on discount on a product on specific to a store and all three got ads of that store in our facebook feed..One Iphone 8Plus/One Galxy s9 and another Huawei..how can we stop this..


free lance devs should focus on this..will be very good idea for them.

 

[fhopper]

How did that work out for Theranos? What you lead people to believe is going on had better be what is going on. Transparency is imperative in use of data generated by an individual. My new Alexa based Fire TV Cube has a Mute button on top... it is always on. I hope that means I am not being "heard".

 

[m4mario]

Do they listen only when the query is directed to "Alexa" or do they just listen all the time even when the user has not uttered the word "Alexa"?

I think the former is a gray area and somewhat acceptable as there is no better way to improve the service. The later is just in excusable.

 

[JoeCassara]

I hope we find some of these voice files sitting on an insecure AWS instance someday. Would be a real treat to listen to!

 

[Tech198]

Comical. People laugh at Apple for not having good "Machine learning" / voice assistance when it's really just other companies sucking every byte of personal data to make the "user experience" better.

So, now we're in a situation were we can't even trust this "convenient" device they sold us either, while at the same time, employees maintaining privacy..

If Amazon employees can do it, so can every other company, including Apple.. As a matter of fact, the most often companies that make a big deal about maintaining privy like Apple, would actually be higher the "hit list" with listing in..

That's how you get users to trust you. Make a solid point, every time, then catch the "fish"

 

[Peace]

That is creepy and borderline illegal.

 

[Scooz]

They don’t sit inside the actual device? Why did I order the larger one then?

 

[TSE]

Facebook, Google... now Amazon... possibly soon Microsoft...

I really love Tim Cook's Apple in a lot of ways, and security & privacy is one of them. He really is a rebel and sticking to his guns in a way to benefit the consumer.

 

[mejsric]

Imagine.... if Amazon is a China company. America will be freak out.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Interesting, so no Amazon Prime, Amazon Video, Google Search, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.?

I don't have any Amazon or Google voice or music products. I do not use any Google products (including search). I do use Amazon prime (for deliveries) and I do control what information I share with Amazon (re: address and payment details). All my Macs, iPhones, and iPad are locked down. Nothing goes out that I don't know about.

If you want to use Google and Amazon in the manner that the article addresses, have at it. I want no part of it.

If you want to try and paint me in some corner with the "its all the same because everyone has information on you already" rhetoric, you can try that on someone else.

 

[Tech198]

They don’t sit inside the actual device? Why did I order the larger one then?

lol.. I don't think employees come that tiny.

 

[iapplelove]

If only some people realized what they are giving up (re: personal information and privacy) for the sake of Amazon and Google products. The sad thing is, many do know and just don't care.

I think one day in the future we all will be sayin this about the entire internet.

 

[JoeCassara]

I stand with Amazon. They are an honest company run by an honest man. I have nothing to hide. They have no agenda other than to deliver the best speaker with the best voice assistant, which, I might add, is something Apple FAILED to do with the HomePod. And we all know how shady Apple is. Their privacy stance is a farce.

I laughed so hard, I peed. Thank you!

 

[Apple_Robert]

I guess you missed the part of the article says Apple has its employee listen to the Siri queries as well?

Why would you think I missed that? I didn't. I read the article. There is a big difference between what Amazon appears to be doing and what Apple is doing, in my opinion.

 

[A MacBook lover]

This is terrible.

Amazon is actively listening to our homes, and sharing the audio files with other employees (or worse) in chat rooms. WTF

 

[NoNothing]

Interesting, so no Amazon Prime, Amazon Video, Google Search, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.?

I’m with BasicGreatGuy. I do not have a Google or Amazon account. I do use watch YouTube but no account. I use no other products from FB, Google or Amazon AFAIK.

 

[TMRJIJ]

I stand with Amazon. They are an honest company run by an honest man. I have nothing to hide. They have no agenda other than to deliver the best speaker with the best voice assistant, which, I might add, is something Apple FAILED to do with the HomePod. And we all know how shady Apple is. Their privacy stance is a farce.

Knock it off, dude. April Fools is long gone.

 

[Sedulous]

I don’t care what is hidden in the 374th page of the TOS, this kind of stuff should be considered wire tapping and extremely illegal.

 

[s15119]

Not surprising and really doesn't concern me greatly.

 

[Peace]

I stand with Amazon. They are an honest company run by an honest man. I have nothing to hide. They have no agenda other than to deliver the best speaker with the best voice assistant, which, I might add, is something Apple FAILED to do with the HomePod. And we all know how shady Apple is. Their privacy stance is a farce.

Wow amazon registered a bot pretty fast.

 

[A MacBook lover]

I don’t care what it hidden in the 374th page of the TOS, this kind of stuff should be considered wire tapping and extremely illegal.

This is why I think Apple was smart to make a speaker first. If this kind of product becomes basically illegal, Apple still has an amazing speaker that can still operate

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

You guys need to put the tin foil hats away. Or don’t. The comments are pure gold! lol