[Electronics-Talk] Amazon Alexa is listening to you. How to stop it. | Komando.com

[Dennis Long]

How can this be turned off by a blind person?  Can it be done on the web?

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From: Electronics-Talk [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
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Subject: [Electronics-Talk] Amazon Alexa is listening to you. How to stop
it. | Komando.com

Alexa IS listening to your conversations By  James Gelinas, Komando.com
Alexa IS listening to your conversations

Tap or click to listen to the latest from Kim in just one minute.

Whenever a game-changing device or product comes out, skeptics are always
the first to ask "What's the catch?" Nothing is free in this world, after
all.
With technology, similar logic should apply. When something truly
revolutionary is released, it's always smart to ask yourself "What am I
giving up in exchange for this?"

Many people have welcomed Amazon's Alexa system into their homes without so
much as a second thought. The device provides instant web services by voice
command, which is a feature people have dreamed of since Star Trek first
aired on TV.

These features are groundbreaking, so there has to be some sort of trade-off
behind the scenes, right?

As it turns out, the truth is a bit more sinister. Alexa isn't just smart
because of its programming -- it's been getting human help on the back end.
Thousands of employees around the world are analyzing audio clips from Alexa
devices every day, and some of the things they're picking up are private,
personal, and disturbing.

"Alexa, are you listening?"

Alexa's engineers are constantly tweaking the voice recognition algorithm
that powers the home speaker, but doing so requires more than just coding
knowledge.
Real audio data is needed to build Alexa's vocabulary and improve its
ability to understand things like slang and regional dialects.

According to a
new report by Bloomberg,
this is the reason Amazon has employed a global team of analysts that listen
to and transcribe audio samples from Alexa owners -- including samples taken
when the machine wasn't activated, or was turned on by accident!

Smart home tips from a guy who did it and lived to tell

Working with as many as 1,000 audio clips each shift, these analysts report
a mostly mundane workflow peppered with occasionally embarrassing or
distressing content. The voice review process works by scanning harvested
clips for "keywords" that Alexa is already familiar with, such as a brand
name or musical artist. From here, the analysts listen to, transcribe and
annotate the clips to improve Alexa's overall recognition.

However, the clips they receive aren't always from a normal voice command.
Due to the nature of sound recognition software, false positives can trigger
the device to record audio. Which has led to awkward collections, like a
woman singing off key in the shower.

Some of the clips analysts received have a darker nature, like a child
screaming for help. In one case, they heard what sounded like a sexual
assault.

Amazon claims to have very strict protocols over how they handle randomly
audited clips they collect, saying your full name and address is never
attached.
The company allegedly has a workflow in place for analysts that find
upsetting content, urging them to decompress in an internal chatroom with
fellow employees.

How to stop Alexa from recording you

For those of you wondering how Amazon is getting away with this, the process
is outlined in their terms and conditions (those lovely fine-print
agreements you need to click before you can get to the good stuff). The
privacy settings of Alexa acknowledge that your voice recording might be
analyzed during regular reviews of Alexa's performance -- even if you opt
out of sharing clips with Amazon.

If you're looking to get as much of your privacy back from Alexa as
possible, your best bet is to access your stored recordings and delete them.
Click or tap here to learn how to hear all your Alexa recordings and delete
them, too.

These are the same clips that analysts would be combing through, so by
curating what analysts can and cannot access, you can enjoy your Alexa
device minus the major creep factor.

Alexa might seem like something out of Orwell, but at least Amazon gives you
the option to pull the plug on some of Big Brother's listening habits.

The easiest way to ensure Alexa isn't listening is to simply turn off the
microphone on your Alexa-enabled device when you're not using it. 
There is a
button located on top of your Echo or Echo Dot that will turn off the mic.
(Note: Example in image above.)

Alexa shares more than 1,500 private conversations with complete stranger

According to Amazon, the reason its popular voice assistant Alexa records
and stores our conversations is for a better "user experience." 
But, what if
your Alexa gave recordings of your personal conversations to a complete
stranger?

Click or tap to find out what Alexa is storing about you.

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