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<Tech Company> contractors listened to <smart device> recordings These stories feel like mad libs at this point. I don't personally have a problem with anonymi

by gundmc 7y ago

<Tech Company> contractors listened to <smart device> recordings These stories feel like mad libs at this point. I don't personally have a problem with anonymized recordings being used to improve models, but maybe these assistants should prompt for affirmative consent whenever they hear a new voice. "Some recordings may be reviewed by humans for quality assurance and to improve our services. These recordings are not linked to you or your identity. Do you accept?"

Balgair 7y ago
Call me old fashioned, but someone recording my nephews, without them knowing, and then selling/giving that recording to just about anyone, is cause for a bit of concern and possibly a headline. But then again, I may be old fashioned.
- gundmc 7y ago
  The Xbox case is notably more important because of the disproportionate number of children using the service and the associated COPPA implications. But can you provide a source for any of these companies "selling/giving the recording to just about anyone"? The only stories I have seen involve contractors working for the company on QA/labelling. It seems like a pretty gross misrepresentation to imply they're somehow selling or trading voice recordings.
  - Balgair 7y ago
    Per the Amazon Privacy notice [0], they claim that they do not 'sell' your data. I've not parsed it in detail, but a quick preusal of it does not specify the sharing of the information of children specifically. Nor does the privacy notice mention what 'sell' means. Is rental of data included, is lonaing the data included, what is meant by data, what is meant by secure, what happends when a contrator just runs off with the data and then sells it? I've not looked at the policies of the other various 'mic is in the house' devices, as Amazon's privacy notice is suprisingly readable and short in comparison (hence why I linked it above). Suffice to say, there are enough weasel words in these privacy notices that you agree to that these companies can claim non-liability over just about anything. Look, I'm not a lawyer and I'm not an expert in these EULA thingys, but they smell really fishy and I'm pretty sure at this point in the internet that they are not written for my benefit. I'm not too pleased with such practices and such an ethos involving personal conversations of the people that I love and that love me. If they end up selling the data to just about anyone, I'm not going to be suprised, just very disappointed in those people and the people that have to forgive them for trading the (perhaps very personal) conversations of children and adults for some more numbers on a checking account screen. [0] https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=468496 https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=...
- cududa 7y ago
  They’re not selling it or giving it to anyone? It’s used to improve voice recognition
  - Balgair 7y ago
    Which is done via 'contractors', per the article. AKA, people I do not know and who are hired via some process I am not privy to and who are fired for causes unknown without notice to me. What happens when those contractors end up taking data out of the facility and then sell it? What is the rate of people with certain classes of criminal activity that get through the hiring process (the false positive rate)? What about the mental health of these contractors? Are they paid well? Are they paid at all? Do they remember what my loved ones say? Are they my neighbors? Why/why not? Essentially, to me and to the people that I care about, these people are essentialy a random selection of the general population, with all the benefits and problems that come with that.
    - cududa 7y ago
      Are you privy to the hiring practices of Microsoft corporate? No? Then why does the contracting process mean anything

by gundmc 7y ago

Balgair 7y ago

Call me old fashioned, but someone recording my nephews, without them knowing, and then selling/giving that recording to just about anyone, is cause for a bit of concern and possibly a headline. But then again, I may be old fashioned.

gundmc 7y ago
The Xbox case is notably more important because of the disproportionate number of children using the service and the associated COPPA implications. But can you provide a source for any of these companies "selling/giving the recording to just about anyone"? The only stories I have seen involve contractors working for the company on QA/labelling. It seems like a pretty gross misrepresentation to imply they're somehow selling or trading voice recordings.
- Balgair 7y ago
  Per the Amazon Privacy notice [0], they claim that they do not 'sell' your data. I've not parsed it in detail, but a quick preusal of it does not specify the sharing of the information of children specifically. Nor does the privacy notice mention what 'sell' means. Is rental of data included, is lonaing the data included, what is meant by data, what is meant by secure, what happends when a contrator just runs off with the data and then sells it? I've not looked at the policies of the other various 'mic is in the house' devices, as Amazon's privacy notice is suprisingly readable and short in comparison (hence why I linked it above). Suffice to say, there are enough weasel words in these privacy notices that you agree to that these companies can claim non-liability over just about anything. Look, I'm not a lawyer and I'm not an expert in these EULA thingys, but they smell really fishy and I'm pretty sure at this point in the internet that they are not written for my benefit. I'm not too pleased with such practices and such an ethos involving personal conversations of the people that I love and that love me. If they end up selling the data to just about anyone, I'm not going to be suprised, just very disappointed in those people and the people that have to forgive them for trading the (perhaps very personal) conversations of children and adults for some more numbers on a checking account screen. [0] https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=468496 https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=...
cududa 7y ago
They’re not selling it or giving it to anyone? It’s used to improve voice recognition
- Balgair 7y ago
  Which is done via 'contractors', per the article. AKA, people I do not know and who are hired via some process I am not privy to and who are fired for causes unknown without notice to me. What happens when those contractors end up taking data out of the facility and then sell it? What is the rate of people with certain classes of criminal activity that get through the hiring process (the false positive rate)? What about the mental health of these contractors? Are they paid well? Are they paid at all? Do they remember what my loved ones say? Are they my neighbors? Why/why not? Essentially, to me and to the people that I care about, these people are essentialy a random selection of the general population, with all the benefits and problems that come with that.
  - cududa 7y ago
    Are you privy to the hiring practices of Microsoft corporate? No? Then why does the contracting process mean anything