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Ah yes, the terrifying privacy implications of Alexa. Now Google and Amazon know I check the weather every morning. Oh, the dystopia.

mfrommil 9y ago
They also know the argument between you and your partner, the private secret a friend asked you to share with no one, when you're not going to be home, etc. etc.
- feocco 9y ago
  How so if they're not recording all the time?
  - nine_k 9y ago
    How can you be sure? Maybe you have the source code?
    - dragonwriter 9y ago
      Well, for one, there's the power switch on the side. And the power switch on the power strip it's attached to if, for some reason, I decide to suspect that the hard switch on the device is a lie.
      - khedoros1 9y ago
        If you're worried enough to turn it off sometimes, why not just...not have one in the first place?
        dragonwriter 9y ago
        > If you're worried enough to turn it off sometimes, why not just...not have one in the first place? The same reason why the fact that I'm worried enough sometimes (e.g., major lightning storms) to unplug various electronics does not mean I choose not to own such electronics in the first place: sometimes isn't all the time, and both the costs of potential vulnerability and the benefit of features (and thus the balance between those two things) can shift with context. Though, in reality, I'm never actually that worried about my Google Home, I just recognize that this there are adequate existing hardware-based solutions that, should I be concerned at some time—which I can imagine being, though I haven't been—an adequate mitigation exists that doesn't involve not possessing the device.
        khedoros1 9y ago
        To me, the difference between the lightning scenario and a digital assistant, is that in the former scenario, I'm protecting the device (and my home) by disconnecting it, but in the latter scenario, I'm protecting myself from the device. It's something inherent to the nature of the device that I'm trying to avoid. I don't feel like those are comparable situations.
- a_t48 9y ago
  Is there actual evidence of this? Tell me: do you also decline to have a cell phone in your pocket?
  - iamthirsty 9y ago
    Here is the best evidence: http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/tech/amazon-echo-alexa-bentonville-arkansas-murder-case/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/tech/amazon-echo-alexa-bentonv...
  - thomastjeffery 9y ago
    I want actual evidence of the contrary. With a closed-source platform, I can't have that. I have a cell-phone in my pocket, and I am concerned about the privacy implications. Android is free software, but the driver blobs are not. I do hate that I am compromising for that. Hopefully, there will be more affordable options like the librem phone in the near future.
- jacksmith21006 9y ago
  Source to support?
alsetmusic 9y ago
> Ah yes, the terrifying privacy implications of Alexa. Now Google and Amazon know I check the weather every morning. More realistically and already in the wild: ad fingerprinting. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/theres-a-spike-in-android-apps-that-covertly-listen-for-inaudible-sounds-in-ads/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/there...
mulmen 9y ago
You may enjoy George Orwell’s 1984. You can order it through your telescreen.

mfrommil 9y ago

They also know the argument between you and your partner, the private secret a friend asked you to share with no one, when you're not going to be home, etc. etc.

feocco 9y ago
How so if they're not recording all the time?
- nine_k 9y ago
  How can you be sure? Maybe you have the source code?
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    Well, for one, there's the power switch on the side. And the power switch on the power strip it's attached to if, for some reason, I decide to suspect that the hard switch on the device is a lie.
    - khedoros1 9y ago
      If you're worried enough to turn it off sometimes, why not just...not have one in the first place?
      - dragonwriter 9y ago
        > If you're worried enough to turn it off sometimes, why not just...not have one in the first place? The same reason why the fact that I'm worried enough sometimes (e.g., major lightning storms) to unplug various electronics does not mean I choose not to own such electronics in the first place: sometimes isn't all the time, and both the costs of potential vulnerability and the benefit of features (and thus the balance between those two things) can shift with context. Though, in reality, I'm never actually that worried about my Google Home, I just recognize that this there are adequate existing hardware-based solutions that, should I be concerned at some time—which I can imagine being, though I haven't been—an adequate mitigation exists that doesn't involve not possessing the device.
        khedoros1 9y ago
        To me, the difference between the lightning scenario and a digital assistant, is that in the former scenario, I'm protecting the device (and my home) by disconnecting it, but in the latter scenario, I'm protecting myself from the device. It's something inherent to the nature of the device that I'm trying to avoid. I don't feel like those are comparable situations.
a_t48 9y ago
Is there actual evidence of this? Tell me: do you also decline to have a cell phone in your pocket?
- iamthirsty 9y ago
  Here is the best evidence: http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/tech/amazon-echo-alexa-bentonville-arkansas-murder-case/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/tech/amazon-echo-alexa-bentonv...
- thomastjeffery 9y ago
  I want actual evidence of the contrary. With a closed-source platform, I can't have that. I have a cell-phone in my pocket, and I am concerned about the privacy implications. Android is free software, but the driver blobs are not. I do hate that I am compromising for that. Hopefully, there will be more affordable options like the librem phone in the near future.
jacksmith21006 9y ago
Source to support?

alsetmusic 9y ago

> Ah yes, the terrifying privacy implications of Alexa. Now Google and Amazon know I check the weather every morning. More realistically and already in the wild: ad fingerprinting. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/theres-a-spike-in-android-apps-that-covertly-listen-for-inaudible-sounds-in-ads/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/there...

mulmen 9y ago

You may enjoy George Orwell’s 1984. You can order it through your telescreen.