Amazon’s Privacy Shift: Alexa’s New Reality Begins This Month
Amazon is changing the game for Alexa users, and the implications for privacy are significant. Beginning March 28th, the company will no longer allow users to opt out of having their voice conversation recordings sent to Amazon’s servers. This shift, tied to the rollout of Alexa+, the generative AI-powered version of the voice assistant, marks a notable pivot in how Amazon handles user data.
The news, first reported by ArsTechnica and confirmed in an email to customers, signals a move away from the previous privacy settings. According to the email, the expansion of Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features necessitates this data collection. The Large Language Model (LLM) powering Alexa+ doesn’t operate locally; therefore, voice prompts must be recorded and sent to Amazon’s cloud for processing.
While Amazon maintains this is essential for the new AI features to function, some observers are concerned. In particular, the decision to remove the option to abstain from having recordings sent to the cloud is drawing criticism.
As tech columnist Jason Aten observes, “Giving people the opportunity to not have their voice conversations recorded is not a ‘feature.’ It should be the default.” He suggests that many users may prefer keeping their data private, even if it means forgoing the new Alexa+ features. “If you’re fine with your device continuing working the way it has, you should be able to opt out of having your recordings sent to Amazon,” Aten writes.
Concerns about Amazon’s practices in this area are not new. Previously, the company has faced scrutiny over secretly sending recordings of voice interactions to human reviewers for quality control. This history makes the current change all the more sensitive, especially for users who may not want their conversations used to train an LLM.
While Amazon states that recordings are deleted after queries are fulfilled, many users may still find the change unwelcome, as it removes a degree of control they previously enjoyed. The situation highlights the evolving balance between technological advancement, the convenience of new features, and the fundamental right to privacy in the age of voice assistants and AI.
Opinions expressed by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
