Amazon's Alexa Eavesdropped and Shared the Chat, Report Says

[jwkelly]

 
(Bloomberg) — A couple’s private conversation was mysteriously recorded by their Amazon Echo device and sent to one of their contacts, igniting privacy concerns about the voice-activated gadgets the online retailer wants to make as commonplace in homes as televisions.

The two found about it when they received a phone call two weeks ago from one of the husband’s employees telling them to "Unplug your Alexa devices right now. You’re being hacked," news station KIRO 7 reported. Amazon.com Inc. said in a statement to the station that it was an "extremely rare occurrence."

The Portland, Oregon, couple used Amazon’s voice-activated devices throughout their home to control heat, lights and the security system, according to the news report. Amazon in 2014 introduced the new line of devices, which can also stream music and order goods from Amazon via voice command. It has been busy introducing updated versions and adding features to sell more devices than rivals like Alphabet Inc. and Apple Inc., which offer their own versions.

Voice-activated assistants like the Echo and Google Home have gone mainstream. More than 60 million U.S. consumers will use a smart speaker at least once a month this year, with more than 40 million of them using Amazon’s devices, according to eMarketer Inc.

But Amazon’s lead in the market is slipping. The company shipped 2.5 million Echo devices globally in the first quarter compared with 3.2 million Google devices shipped in the same period, according to research firm Canalys.

People have been willing to overlook glitches in the Echo, like it turning on accidentally or without the wake word being uttered, said Ryan Calo, an associate law professor at the University of Washington who researches how law applies to technology. This incident is more alarming since a private conversation was recorded and sent to a third party, he said.

"Think about how uncomfortable the millions of people who own these things now feel," Calo said. "The real harm is the invasion into solitude people now experience in their homes."

It’s difficult to determine based on Amazon’s limited response if the Oregon couple’s device was hacked or if the incident was a software bug, said Daniel Kahn Gillmor, a technologist with the American Civil Liberties Union. Some manufacturers are responding to heightened consumer sensitivities about privacy by building devices that have physical switches to turn off sensors such as cameras and microphones, he said.

"We’ve invited these systems into our lives in ways that we are only beginning to see the negative consequences for," Gillmor said. "There are situations where we don’t need to have these things. A lot of people got the Echo because they feel like it’s this magic thing. Maybe the magic isn’t worth it."

[ktheodos]

scary, but also somewhat funny too

[jwkelly]

Electric dreams,ghost in the machine....

[potluck6]

Heard about this also facebook can listen to private conversations. The put an ad for what you talked about.

[pectacon]

As cool as these devices are at first glance I don't know how everyone's first thought isn't that you're having every word you say monitored in order for them to work. Even if you have nothing to hide that's still creepy.

[vickysue]

Wouldn't have one. And are we getting to be a society that is too lazy to get up and go and turn on your lights and other things? Yes I know  a lot of people like all of the gadgets, but sooner or later something is going to go wrong and sounds like it did.  I just can't see the reason behind all of the gadgets when the exercise is better for a person.

[jwkelly]

One  day your Google Home Assistant is  saying " Hello,how may I help you ?"   the next day it's   "GET OUT !!"

[demaina]

I'm surprised it took this long for people to realize that we are willingly putting listening devices in our houses.  It's like how Amazon had the special key that lets the delivery people place your packages in your house.  Like, of course someone is going to abuse that.  Same with Alexa.  It has to be listening at all times to be aware when you ask for it's help, so of course that could be abused.

[jwkelly]

I'm surprised it took this long for people to realize that we are willingly putting listening devices in our houses.  It's like how Amazon had the special key that lets the delivery people place your packages in your house.  Like, of course someone is going to abuse that.  Same with Alexa.  It has to be listening at all times to be aware when you ask for it's help, so of course that could be abused.

                                             Like a regular massage becomes a happy ending massage and everyone gets arrested

[Timely214]

I like that name.

[sak4kat]

Oh my goodness - I imagine that sort of thing happens all the time and it just hasn't been made public to this extent yet.  Oh gosh - I hope they weren't saying anything bad or inappropriate - that could be humiliating. I've picked up landlines before and heard people talking... guess lines cross and those things are likely to happen sometimes... everything has potential to be glitchy.

[madeara]

I heard about that.  I have an Echo.  I find this very concerning.