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Great now the echo will record all video as well and "anonymize" it and use it to improve their systems. This class of devices are the most puzzling to me. Peop

by yalogin 10y ago

Great now the echo will record all video as well and "anonymize" it and use it to improve their systems. This class of devices are the most puzzling to me. People know their value proposition is to record everything but then keep buying them. I keep waiting for the day when the scales tip in favor of privacy but that never happens.

ryanwaggoner 10y ago
Actually, people don't know that. The Echo doesn't "record everything", and I'd challenge you to provide any evidence that it does.
- shostack 10y ago
  True/false: Can Amazon technically enable it to record without the user's knowledge? What if a government compelled them to activate this to spy on someone?
  - djrogers 10y ago
    Ability to create a new (creepy and likely illegal) feature is not the same thing as it being the Echo's "value prop"...
ashark 10y ago
I doubt the typical user of Internet(-enabled) services has any idea how much is recorded about them, or what it's used for. They probably intuitively think that recording and retaining these sorts of things on such a scale and for such purposes is already illegal.
deepGem 10y ago
Can you please explain a bit more about your privacy concern ? Are you implying that Amazon might 1. Inadvertently leak these videos 2. Succumb to a massive breach that will expose all these videos. 3. Use the private data as a signal to sell more stuff. I only ask this because, if there is some company that genuinely cares about their customers, it's Amazon but from personal and anecdotal experience.
deleted 10y ago
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shawn-butler 10y ago
You know that Amazon has testified in court that this isn't the case right? https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3473799-Alexa.html https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3473799-Alexa.html So if you have any evidence to back up your claim you should post it and claim your 5 minutes of celebrity.
catkins 10y ago
*at least, they do not record all the time...for now.

by yalogin 10y ago

ryanwaggoner 10y ago

Actually, people don't know that. The Echo doesn't "record everything", and I'd challenge you to provide any evidence that it does.

shostack 10y ago
True/false: Can Amazon technically enable it to record without the user's knowledge? What if a government compelled them to activate this to spy on someone?
- djrogers 10y ago
  Ability to create a new (creepy and likely illegal) feature is not the same thing as it being the Echo's "value prop"...

ashark 10y ago

I doubt the typical user of Internet(-enabled) services has any idea how much is recorded about them, or what it's used for. They probably intuitively think that recording and retaining these sorts of things on such a scale and for such purposes is already illegal.

deepGem 10y ago

Can you please explain a bit more about your privacy concern ? Are you implying that Amazon might 1. Inadvertently leak these videos 2. Succumb to a massive breach that will expose all these videos. 3. Use the private data as a signal to sell more stuff. I only ask this because, if there is some company that genuinely cares about their customers, it's Amazon but from personal and anecdotal experience.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

shawn-butler 10y ago

You know that Amazon has testified in court that this isn't the case right? https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3473799-Alexa.html https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3473799-Alexa.html So if you have any evidence to back up your claim you should post it and claim your 5 minutes of celebrity.

catkins 10y ago

*at least, they do not record all the time...for now.