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

[LovingTeddy]

You must have missed the part where it said it doesn't have personal identifiers (Amazon has first name) and that Google even obscures the voice. Regardless, this is whataboutism. If all three did this it should still be illegal.

Why is illegal? You guys signed up for that. Users agreement indicates they will collect personal information. So either stop using Siri, Google Assitance or Alexa.

In the end if the day, after all these fuzz, everybody goes back and using Google, Amazon or Apple

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Considering my name/avatar, this may not surprise you, but voice assistants make me think of being on the Enterprise, where the tech sounds cool until you realize there is no privacy!

“Computer, where is Commander Riker?”

“Commander Riker is in Counselor Troi’s quarters.”

I don’t need a computer to know what is probably going on!

Riker, with his pants open wide.
[doublepost=1554981795][/doublepost]

Amazon's people could always be wrong also. What if the people were just role playing or like it rough, not for eavesdropping Amazon employees to be the arbiter on this

Maybe “Alexa” was their safe word.

 

[Abazigal]

perfectly fine with me. you know there is an option on your apple products to send in info as well right?

alexa is far superior to siri. guess we know why now.

It also makes me believe that Apple's continued emphasis on privacy is going to pay off in the not-so-distant future.

In the past, people used to claim that there was no way Apple could catch up with the competition if they didn't go to the extremes that Google or Amazon did.

Now, with rising backlash against such companies' cavalier use of our data, it may be these companies who find themselves forced to have to match Apple in terms of respecting our data.

It also helps that Apple is in a position where they have no direct financial incentive to manipulate our data.

 

[LovingTeddy]

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.

It makes no difference on my book. Apple still listens, this is already big no no for some. It just who is less of evil.

 

[scwinsett]

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” is about as good a defense for giving up privacy as “I have nothing to say” is for giving up free speech. It’s a lazy copout. Amazon is not your friend.

 

[apolloa]

Speaking of reading the story, the story did say that Apple was doing it after "hey Siri" whereas Amazon employees reported that they were getting it even with no sign of the trigger keyword "Alexa" being spoken.

And that’s utter rubbish, Amazon is not going to invest in equipment to record every......single.......thing....... any Alexa device hears!
That’s nothing but spin and would not make any business sense what so ever no matter how you look at it. And it’s totally against Amazons policies.

I would also add that in Siri’s settings I do NOT have the option to disable Apple recording and listening to what I tell Siri, and it’s employees then listen to, I can with Amazon.
Apple has worst security and privacy politicise in this then Apple does.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Blame the victim again.
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Lol if a company like Amazon is listening to each and every recording you sent to them, except that the clip isn't tagged with your name, how actually anonymous is it?

Think about it. If Amazon releases a video echo dot which records video of your home and your video clips are being reviewed "anonymously" by Amazon employees or contractors, do you think it's acceptable? How anonymous is it?

I am perfecly ok with that. By the way, the amount of data that will be uploaded to Amazon is astronomical, i don’t really think any of these company would interest doing this.

 

[apolloa]

Well, it’s pretty obvious Apple’s not doing the same with Siri at least!

You didn’t read the story either.... go into your iPhone, check to see where that setting is that stops Apple employees listening to what you say to Siri... Amazon has a setting for that..

 

[LovingTeddy]

It also makes me believe that Apple's continued emphasis on privacy is going to pay off in the not-so-distant future.

In the past, people used to claim that there was no way Apple could catch up with the competition if they didn't go to the extremes that Google or Amazon did.

Now, with rising backlash against such companies' cavalier use of our data, it may be these companies who find themselves forced to have to match Apple in terms of respecting our data.

It also helps that Apple is in a position where they have no direct financial incentive to manipulate our data.

You really think Apple has no direct financial incentive to manipulate our data when they are more relying on services revenue? I don’t believe any of these.

 

[Khedron]

Even if Apple listens to Siri requests it is not the same as listening to an actual recording from someone’s private sphere. It doesn’t surprise me but at the same time scares me.

It says "Alexa Requests" right in the article title.

It scares me that Apple left a known backdoor in FaceTime active for weeks and only disabled it once the press started talking about it.

 

[Abazigal]

You really think Apple has no direct financial incentive to manipulate our data when they are more relying on services revenue? I don’t believe any of these.

None of their services relies on actually selling me anything.

Apple news - hire journalists to curate articles they think we would like to read
Apple arcade - fund creation of high quality games with developers
Apple card - Apple has promised they wouldn't compromise our user data, but I guess the jury is still out on that one.
Apple music and Apple video - likewise

Apple kept emphasising a few common themes throughout their keynote. Curation, privacy, security. I trust in Apple to hold up to their end of the bargain, for the simple reason that I personally believe Apple's new services are not going to be a meaningful source of revenue anytime soon. Their main purpose is to add value and functionality to Apple hardware.

You can argue that Apple does all this as an excuse to justify why their services are supposedly inferior to Google, but if it suits my own priorities, who really cares?

 

[bbednarz]

"Apple has employees who listen to Siri queries to make sure the interpretation of a request lines up with what the person said."
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"Apple has employees who listen to Siri queries to make sure the interpretation of a request lines up with what the person said."
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"Apple has employees who listen to Siri queries to make sure the interpretation of a request lines up with what the person said."

Here you go...

"Google too has employees who are able to access audio snippets from Google Assistant for the purpose of improving the product, but Google, like Apple, removes personally identifiable information and also distorts audio.

Amazon does not appear to be removing all personally identifiable information, and while the Echo is meant to collect audio only when a wake word is spoken, the employees who spoke to Bloomberg said they often hear audio files that appear to have started recording with no wake word at all."

Even Google is removing personal identifiable information.
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Well dduuurrrrrrrr

It’s an AI and this is how AI’s learn, you have to teach them. Also their is a handy little switch to turn OFF this feature, and yes it does ask you at setup if you want to enable it so users DO know about it, unless they do not bother to read the instructions during setup..

Tin foil hat brigade or what..
[doublepost=1554961312][/doublepost]Haha the sheer number of complainers defending Apple on here, who have NOT read this story and totally missed the following is hilarious!

Apple has employees who listen to Siri queries to make sure the interpretation of a request lines up with what the person said. Recordings are stripped of identifiable information, however, and stored for six months with a random identifier.
[doublepost=1554961461][/doublepost]

But Apple ARE doing this? You didn’t read the story did you....

Actually I did, did you?

"Google too has employees who are able to access audio snippets from Google Assistant for the purpose of improving the product, but Google, like Apple, removes personally identifiable information and also distorts audio.

Amazon does not appear to be removing all personally identifiable information, and while the Echo is meant to collect audio only when a wake word is spoken, the employees who spoke to Bloomberg said they often hear audio files that appear to have started recording with no wake word at all."
[doublepost=1554984394][/doublepost]

You want to send them an audio file but not have them “listen” to it?

You’re basically making a phone call to a company to ask them a question and you think they can do that without knowing what you asked them?

I’m at a bit of a loss here as to why people are surprised by this article. I read it and thought “yeah that’s kind of what’s I always assumed.”

This is news??

"Google too has employees who are able to access audio snippets from Google Assistant for the purpose of improving the product, but Google, like Apple, removes personally identifiable information and also distorts audio.

Amazon does not appear to be removing all personally identifiable information, and while the Echo is meant to collect audio only when a wake word is spoken, the employees who spoke to Bloomberg said they often hear audio files that appear to have started recording with no wake word at all."

 

[rotlex]

50's, 60's and 70's - the government is wire tapping my home, it's an invasion of privacy, what can I do about it?

00's. Oh! Let me by this device so I can wire tap my home and let the world listen in, lol.

No thanks

 

[bbednarz]

But you are ok with the government listening on your phone lines, the ISPs listening to your traffic, the VPNs listening to your traffic, your credit cards monitoring your purchases, and *gasp* a corporation like Apple listening in on you because they claim that they are the crusaders of the internet?

Makes perfect sense

There are certain things that are absolutely unavoidable.

Here is my issue...

"Google too has employees who are able to access audio snippets from Google Assistant for the purpose of improving the product, but Google, like Apple, removes personally identifiable information and also distorts audio.

Amazon does not appear to be removing all personally identifiable information, and while the Echo is meant to collect audio only when a wake word is spoken, the employees who spoke to Bloomberg said they often hear audio files that appear to have started recording with no wake word at all."

Google and Apple remove personal identifiable data. Amazon doesn't.

 

[tw1ll]

Wouldn’t there be zero privacy issues if the reviewers have no information that identifies the source, person or location? This just looks like an Amazon-bashing article on an Apple-centric site.

 

[smaffei]

Apple needs to give her more actions, and they need to open her up and have third-party developers insert in Her their own custom actions.

You can add custom Siri actions. It's just the platform is just not big enough to make it worthwhile.
[doublepost=1554984699][/doublepost]

Wouldn’t there be zero privacy issues if the reviewers have no information that identifies the source, person or location? This just looks like an Amazon-bashing article on an Apple-centric site.

I guess Apple controls my morning news too.

 

[ghost187]

How do you know they’re educated?

Well I don’t, but from the way that they defend it, they fully know what companies like Amazon are doing down to all the technical details. The fact that they are aware and they still justify it is what’s unbelievable to me.

 

[Edsel]

Long before Alexa, Cortana, Siri, etc. you had imbedded microphones and cameras in computers. Ask any IT person how easy it is to access those features. There are private, commercial, and government surveillance cameras everywhere. Did you know there are live video feeds from satellites that can identify facial features?

We live in a fish bowl and there isn't much we can do about it.

 

[nathansz]

it people are so lazy that they want to put one of these surveillance devices in their home to perform simple tasks then that’s on them i guess

 

[ipponrg]

There are certain things that are absolutely unavoidable.

Here is my issue...

"Google too has employees who are able to access audio snippets from Google Assistant for the purpose of improving the product, but Google, like Apple, removes personally identifiable information and also distorts audio.

Amazon does not appear to be removing all personally identifiable information, and while the Echo is meant to collect audio only when a wake word is spoken, the employees who spoke to Bloomberg said they often hear audio files that appear to have started recording with no wake word at all."

Google and Apple remove personal identifiable data. Amazon doesn't.

Here is my issue.

Smart devices that need to listen to you speak to trigger are already intrusive whether or not the company collects data or not. Just because a company tells you, “Hey we don’t keep identifiable data” or “We mask your audio” does not mean you should blindly trust that company.

Keep in mind that the privacy policies are at the mercy of software engineering code and product mgrs interpretation of what is acceptable

 

[Small White Car]

Amazon does not appear to be removing all personally identifiable information, and while the Echo is meant to collect audio only when a wake word is spoken, the employees who spoke to Bloomberg said they often hear audio files that appear to have started recording with no wake word at all."

So you’re telling me I should be surprised by Google?

Ok, I kinda am, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t making correct assumptions about Amazon.

 

[Textime]

Terrible logic. Exactly how is it not Amazon or Facebook or Google’s fault, for the total lack of respect for an ounce of privacy? Because we both know customers were not told or aware of the extent of what Amazon was doing, or Facebook etc.

If you know that you will get an electric shock when you play at the socket, then it is not the socket's fault. Get your mind right.

 

[Prof.]

Alexa, turn off my lamp

Alexa, wake me up at 0530

Alexa, play thunderstorm sounds

Alexa, play imagine dragons

Alexa, turn on my TV
———————————————

That’s all they will hear from me

 

[bbednarz]

Here is my issue.

Smart devices that need to listen to you speak to trigger are already intrusive whether or not the company collects data or not. Just because a company tells you, “Hey we don’t keep identifiable data” or “We mask your audio” does not mean you should blindly trust that company.

Keep in mind that the privacy policies are at the mercy of software engineering code and product mgrs interpretation of what is acceptable

There is assumed 'risk' in every device that is connected to the internet. If you aren't comfortable with a smart assistant then its best you just don't get one. Apple is the only company that is talking about personal privacy with this kind of thing. That is why I have way more trust in them over the others. Do I 100% trust them? No. But I want the advantages that a HomeKit house can give me so I just assume that risk. If it comes out that Apple is doing the same thing as Amazon then I would reconsider.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Where does that ignorance on how the internet works come from? You are on a forum that uses analytics from Google and Amazon web services, as does your ISP. All of our connected devices and routers have addresses that are tracked 24/7 by your ISP And beacons that call home at regular intervals. Oh I use a VPN, or my own Pi device so I’m hidden, yeah right. Not using voice assistants makes sense in business environments, for personal use they make my life easier in many ways. I’m completely aware that I have a listening technology in my home/car/pocket that I don’t have complete control over and act accordingly. I can live with that, others can’t but don’t boast about things you think you know, but don’t.

Way to lash out like an addict defending their drug.
The topic was, many of us don’t need, want, or even have any of those services. I still don’t have any of the things you added amidst your rambling belligerent rant. You clearly have developed an emotional attachment and investment in them you feel is worth more than your own civility, another common reason why I don’t want this garbage or the people who live for it in my life.