Amazon Echo to remove Do Not Send Voice Recordings to the Cloud option, weakening privacy
Amazon will eliminate the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" feature for Echo devices starting March 28, 2025. This change aligns with the launch of Alexa+, a new AI-powered assistant, and reflects the need for cloud processing to support expanded generative AI features.
Affected devices include the Echo Dot (4th Gen), Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15 for U.S. English-speaking customers. Users who previously enabled the feature will be transitioned to a setting that sends voice recordings to the cloud but deletes them after processing. The company claims a commitment to privacy stating that voice requests will be encrypted during transmission to its secure cloud, though these will still be accessible to Amazon employees.
The change disappoints users who preferred local processing for smart home tasks, so those seeking non-cloud alternatives might consider the recently launched Home Assistant’s Voice Preview Edition.
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Related news
External links
- Amazon echo now HAS to send recordingsReddit Discussion
- Amazon Echo devices to soon send all Alexa requests to company cloudUSA TODAY
- Amazon puts an end to Echo device processing at the EdgeDCD
- Amazon Echo alternative: 2 smart devices with better privacy optionsMashable
- Amazon is taking away the option of not sending voice recordings to the cloudThe Verge
Comments
Honestly, we've seen worse, from Samsung TVs that were constantly recording "to improve basic commands recognizing" to Ring doorbells video streams being available to law officers, just as XBox's Kinect with an always online internet connection, or Nest's data breaches, IoT and "smart house" users/customers ought to know that their house is no longer a safe heaven. At least, Amazon seem to only send recording when user is asking something, which is, for Amazon the "always hungry for every kind bit of personal information behemoth", certainly a big effort.
This is yet again another disrespectful move on Amazon's part. I didn't trust them in the first place anyway, but now they are giving people more of a reason not to trust them. ALL the PRIVATE conversations within reach of these devices IN YOUR OWN HOME are being uploaded to a BIG TECH COMPANY. This is not only "not funny" to me, but only further reinforces my aggressive stance against this B.S. This is why I use others and my own best technical judgment of open-source applications that operate with full transparency. You can verify where, how, why, and when your data is processed.
Know that I am not the only one who feels strongly about these things. Observe some Mastodon comments and see for yourself: https://discuss.systems/@dev/114161826926246661
Are there any good alternatives to Amazon Echo?