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I don't know if I'm really the only one who shares an Amazon account with his significant other? My partner doesn't need Alexa to be notified what's on my wishl

I don't know if I'm really the only one who shares an Amazon account with his significant other? My partner doesn't need Alexa to be notified what's on my wishlist ... she can just look it up. So blaming Alexa to spoil the secret is a bit ... hyperbole?

weird-eye-issue 5y ago
Obviously if you are sharing an account nothing is "private". Doesn't this go without saying?
- mstolpm 5y ago
  If someone in my house is reading my notifications, is the device or the person to blame?
  - wizzwizz4 5y ago
    Alexa reads out notifications publicly, so it should only be reading public notifications.
  - calsy 5y ago
    If you've used a phone in last decade you would know that they have options to hide notification details behind lock screens and it is in most cases the default setting.
- Zababa 5y ago
  I think people using Alexa and equivalents might need an explanation or two about privacy in general.
  - Kiro 5y ago
    That's very condescending. I use Google Home and I am very well aware of the privacy implications, thank you.
    - Zababa 5y ago
      I don't mean it as condescending. Most people are not aware of how they private information is stolen all the time. Before the GDPR, I think most people weren't aware that cookies were used to spy on them. Let's take another example: harmful chemicals. Most people aren't aware that chemical X or Y is harmful until it becomes a scandal, at which point the companies switch to another that also hasn't been tested long term. In that case, like with privacy, I don't think the people are at fault. People assume that companies aren't going to abuse them. That's why I don't agree with 'Obviously if you are sharing an account nothing is "private". Doesn't this go without saying?'. People have some expectations that sadly don't reflect reality, so in cases like that they need explanations.
jffry 5y ago
Even if the author shared a single Amazon account with his wife, there's still a difference between the two scenarios. If his wife logs in and opens up a private wishlist labeled "Liz Presents", she is choosing to spoil something for herself. If the Alexa says you have a notification (with no more detail) and then immediately spills the beans, his wife did not choose to be spoiled. So yes, it's very much not hyperbole to blame Alexa for spoiling this secret.
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tyingq 5y ago
It seems very logical that a list marked private shouldn't send any notifications to Alexa, a device that isn't private by design. It either announces or displays things to anyone near it. At the very least, the default should be "no notifications", and you could turn them on for the list if desired.

weird-eye-issue 5y ago

Obviously if you are sharing an account nothing is "private". Doesn't this go without saying?

mstolpm 5y ago
If someone in my house is reading my notifications, is the device or the person to blame?
- wizzwizz4 5y ago
  Alexa reads out notifications publicly, so it should only be reading public notifications.
- calsy 5y ago
  If you've used a phone in last decade you would know that they have options to hide notification details behind lock screens and it is in most cases the default setting.
Zababa 5y ago
I think people using Alexa and equivalents might need an explanation or two about privacy in general.
- Kiro 5y ago
  That's very condescending. I use Google Home and I am very well aware of the privacy implications, thank you.
  - Zababa 5y ago
    I don't mean it as condescending. Most people are not aware of how they private information is stolen all the time. Before the GDPR, I think most people weren't aware that cookies were used to spy on them. Let's take another example: harmful chemicals. Most people aren't aware that chemical X or Y is harmful until it becomes a scandal, at which point the companies switch to another that also hasn't been tested long term. In that case, like with privacy, I don't think the people are at fault. People assume that companies aren't going to abuse them. That's why I don't agree with 'Obviously if you are sharing an account nothing is "private". Doesn't this go without saying?'. People have some expectations that sadly don't reflect reality, so in cases like that they need explanations.

jffry 5y ago

Even if the author shared a single Amazon account with his wife, there's still a difference between the two scenarios. If his wife logs in and opens up a private wishlist labeled "Liz Presents", she is choosing to spoil something for herself. If the Alexa says you have a notification (with no more detail) and then immediately spills the beans, his wife did not choose to be spoiled. So yes, it's very much not hyperbole to blame Alexa for spoiling this secret.

deleted 5y ago

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tyingq 5y ago

It seems very logical that a list marked private shouldn't send any notifications to Alexa, a device that isn't private by design. It either announces or displays things to anyone near it. At the very least, the default should be "no notifications", and you could turn them on for the list if desired.