Amazon announced a significant change to the privacy policy for Echo devices, set to take effect on March 28. The company will eliminate the option for local voice command processing, requiring all users to send their recordings to Amazon's cloud.
This change is tied to the launch of Alexa+, an upgraded version of the virtual assistant powered by generative artificial intelligence. The new feature demands greater cloud processing capacity, which led Amazon to discontinue support for local command processing.
The decision will primarily affect users who had opted out of sending voice recordings to Amazon — a feature available on models such as the Echo (4th generation), Echo Show 15, and Echo Show 10. Starting on the aforementioned date, all interactions with Alexa will automatically be sent to and processed in the company's cloud.
The change raises serious privacy concerns, especially given Amazon's track record regarding voice recording management. The company has faced past controversies, including the indefinite storage of children's interactions with Alexa and employee access to user recordings. The new policy may also affect features like Voice ID for users who choose not to save their recordings.
Source: ArsTechnica
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