Like it or Not, Amazon Will Be Sent Your Alexa Voice Recordings Starting Friday
Starting March 28, Amazon Echo users will no longer have the option to prevent their stored voice recordings from being sent to Amazon’s cloud storage. This shift, tied to the rollout of Alexa+, the company’s new generative AI version of its personal assistant, has raised privacy concerns among some users.
An Amazon Echo smart speaker. (Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images)
According to Ars Technica, Amazon announced the discontinuation of the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” option in an email to customers. This feature previously offered an additional layer of privacy by allowing users to withhold stored Echo commands. “As we continue to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature,” the company stated.
User Reactions and Amazon’s Response
Echo users have voiced their disapproval on platforms like Reddit. One user expressed their disappointment, stating, “I have zero interest in the enhanced Alexa, not offering the chance to opt out of this change even though I don’t intend to use the service shows the lack of consideration on the part [of] this company for my privacy, which apparently was somewhat of an illusion all along.”
In a statement to the New York Post, Amazon said that the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” feature had a limited user base, with less than 0.03% of customers utilizing it. An Amazon spokesperson further noted that the “Alexa experience is designed to protect our customers’ privacy and keep their data secure, and that’s not changing. We’re focusing on the privacy tools and controls that our customers use most and work well with generative AI experiences that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud.”
One of the innovative features of Alexa+ is the Alexa Voice ID, which allows devices to identify who is speaking commands. However, to use this, users must forgo the option of “Don’t save recordings,” another privacy setting. This provides full functionality with the AI platform.
Privacy Concerns in the Era of AI
User data is a valuable asset for technology companies, and several legal cases over the past decade have centered on its storage. In 2023, Amazon agreed to pay $25 million to settle federal charges regarding violations of children’s online privacy law, which involved the storage of data over several years, including voice recordings of minors and their locations.
As the New York Times pointed out in a review of the best Alexa smart speakers, these devices, “tap into all of the glories of the internet but with the added ease of voice commands.” However, users are expressing concerns about the loss of privacy options because of the hours of voice recordings being sent to the tech company in this AI era. A Reddit commenter expressed concerns about potential security risks. “Imagine the next time there is a data breach and someone has access to all your voice recordings, and the broad range of AI scammers the hackers could sell that data to,” said the commenter. “It’ll make those fake ‘Mom and Dad, I’ve been arrested and I need money sent for bail’ scams using a person’s real voice look like child’s play.”
In February, Amazon announced that consumers could subscribe to Alexa+ for $19.99 per month, but it would be free for Prime members.
