Me: I won't discuss business in a room with an Alexa, because Amazon is my business competitor and they eavesdrop.
Various other folks: 
Today: Amazon to pay fine for eavesdropping. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/01/1179381126/amazon-alexa-ring-settlement
Siri is too stupid to get the joke.
Between my phone, iPad, and the HomePods, the only thing she's proven adept at so far is actively working to destroy the few shreds of sanity I still manage to desperately cling to.
@kfet @britishtechguru @mwl Hah! I love it.
At one point someone was running a live stream of Siri and Alexa chatting with each other which was oddly mesmerizing. The streamer kicked off by activating the first device then they just went back and forth for days.
Jeff thanks you for your service 🫡
@mwl Basically Alexa does not eavesdrop, audio goes to the cloud only after the keyword is detected, and is only preserved if your Alexa settings say so.
The Ring stuff is another matter though.
You say this, but what evidence do you have that they are correctly following their own rules?
Part of this lawsuit includes evidence from the FTC that Amazon was violating their own terms and rules. So why do you think that they're only violating the rules for Ring but not for Alexa?
Wouldn't it be safer to assume that if Ring was violating rules that everyone at Amazon was doing it?
@kfet @mwl This is all about your security posture.
We know that Amazon has the capacity to record lots of conversations. Amazons TOS might tell us that they're not going to, but clearly the TOS don't really matter.
If you're taking a proactive security stance, then you assume that people who can do things are doing things. Especially when the cost of violating rules is so low.
You can take a different stance. But don't act shocked when new evidence emerges.
@gatesvp @mwl It is not just TOS, there are internal processes and safeguards (technical or not), which got reviewed by FTC apparently (according to the article), and did not result in eavesdropping accusations. Take that as you wish.
I do get the sec posture stance, this thread is about evidence, of which there is not much 🤷♂️
Super excited to promote the #privacy champions at #RightsCon . All those privacy scholars and practitioners look great in those great big color glamour shots, and we're sure Costa Rica is beautiful this time of year! Big thanks to all the great, privacy-conscious sponsors for making all this possible! https://www.rightscon.org/sponsors/ #freshprivacythinking #nolimitsfunding
@koherecoWatchdog @mwl I was curious to read about it in this article, but it turns out none of it is part the FTC investigation.
Makes me doubt how prolific it is vs a rare occasion of an ML’s false positive, coupled with data retention opted-in from the user, AND agreement to a human review of the recordings. Eavesdropping? I don’t buy it.
@koherecoWatchdog @[email protected] Your point is that the data retention mechanism is opt-out, which might be the case - I don't really remember, or care at this point. Mine is turned-off.
What I do know is that even with data retention set to non-zero days, Alexa does not send audio to the cloud, unless spoken to, which is what "eavesdropping" actually means.
There is a best effort in place to filter for the wake word, plus indication when audio goes to the cloud, plus another filter on the cloud side.
@[email protected] Be Aware: Mother and daughter were arrested in a Republican state, because Police were able to get transcripts of things they said in their home while a device was on. Device recorded their speech, made transcripts, police got private home discussion between women on health, and were arrested. Alexa or Siri sent these women to jail, for talking as women have talked for centuries, millennia, and will talk forever. ♀ <- get rid of listening devices, and Republican governments #♀
Its ALL devices that listen. ALL OF THEM.
The front door video camera you bought? The makers contact Police in your area to let them know to use your cameras without asking.
You, you do research on MANY sites that you have trust for.
This is a real threat to your freedom. Republicans are not "offering to serve", they are "manipulating to rule."
The tech is already installed.
Agree but I'd start much higher. 10% of current company value including all assets as a baseline, with an extra 5 per charge. You're right, if a crime is punishable by a fine it's explicitly okay for rich people to commit it, so start making that fine *really* hurt.
@jwcph @mwl It's a very strange societal bias indeed.
Harming children is taboo but the minute they reach the local age of majority, fuck them up as much as you want with no consequence.
It certainly seems to me that there's no sound reasoning to justify having an upper limit on the restrictions to harm.
@mwl
Well to be fair, all iot function the same way if they are voice commands.....
They simply answer to a command but where is the rest of the conversation stored? And what happens to that data and do you have the right to have it erased....
@mwl I remember having seen a sign put up in a hospital floor, reading:
"Before discussing patient issues, please make sure to turn Alexa off."
Added to that print, hand-written:
"With a sledge-hammer."
^^ That.
In the "boss room" of IT, the boss of IT: "but it only listens when you say its keyword!" Me: Oh, fine then. But how does it know you said its keyword, boss of IT?" That face: Priceless.
if only these fines meant something tho.
Amazon's gross profit for 2022 was $225.152 Billion
so over 225,000 million. from one year. and they gotta pay 25. i'm sure this will teach them some sort of lesson ....
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