Amazon and Google Fight Bill That Prohibits Secretly Recording You (vice.com) 56
An anonymous reader quotes Vice:
On Wednesday, the Illinois State Senate passed the Keep Internet Devices Safe Act, a bill that would ban manufacturers of devices that can record audio from doing so remotely without disclosing it to the customer. But after lobbying from trade associations that represent the interests of Google, Amazon -- makers of the microphone-enabled Google Home and Alexa smart speakers, respectively -- and Microsoft, among other companies, the interests of big tech won out... In its current, neutered form, the bill provides exclusive authority to the Attorney General to enforce the Act, which means regular citizens won't be able to bring forward a case regarding tech giants recording them in their homes.
Ars Technica notes the move comes after Amazon admitted thousands of their employees listen to Alexa recordings -- "something not mentioned in Echo's terms of service or FAQ pages."
Vice points out that sometimes those recordings are shared "even after users opt out of having their data used in the program."
Ars Technica notes the move comes after Amazon admitted thousands of their employees listen to Alexa recordings -- "something not mentioned in Echo's terms of service or FAQ pages."
Vice points out that sometimes those recordings are shared "even after users opt out of having their data used in the program."
Re:Opt out by not buying and using these devices? (Score:4, Insightful)
You mean like your cell phone? Because these have always-on listening capabilities too, now. How about laptops with built in microphones? It is seriously getting harder and harder to NOT have these devices, and that's the point of passing laws.
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Yes. You're not required to use a cell phone, believe it or not.
How about laptops with built in microphones?
If you're running Windows or Linux, or OSX, you have control over your own microphone on your computer.
Re: Opt out by not buying and using these devices? (Score:3)
Youre not required to have a car either, but the state still has the power to protect consumers of cars with things like safety laws that specify design. Remotely recording customers without their knowledge or consent is insane. Of course it should be illegal.
Re: Opt out by not buying and using these devices? (Score:2)
Youre not required to have a car either, but the state still has the power to protect consumers of cars with things like safety laws. Remotely recording customers without their knowledge or consent is sleaze.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
How does this prevent people from opting out by not buying these devices, not using these devices, and not allowing these devices in their homes or places of business?
Wrong question.
How does this prevent people from being recorded without their consent when they do not buy or own these devices, and yet damn near every home and place of business does.
Let's wake up to the real issue; the majority of citizens own these fucking things, and don't care about your privacy.
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How does this prevent people from being recorded without their consent when they do not buy or own these devices, and yet damn near every home and place of business does.
We already have wiretap laws for that and if they will not protect you, neither will these.
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Eavesdropping? (Score:3, Insightful)
Shouldn't Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and other managers at Amazon and Google face jail time already for their crimes?
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Bezos and Pichai are rich.
The guy who recorded the police, not.
Google will bribe Congress. (Score:2)
And this bill will quietly die.
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And this bill will quietly die.
We need to somehow convince big telco and big cableco that this bill helps to go against net neutrality, then they'd out-lobby both Google and Amazon to get it though.
National bill, please (Score:3, Insightful)
It's nice to see individual states trying to step up and pass this sort of bill, but I can't see those laws being very effective. This has to be a national effort, and an issue in the 2020 election. Politicians respond to pressure, and I'd like to see every Democratic candidate asked about this issue at town halls and debates.
I don't think it would matter if Donald Trump was asked about it, because, honestly, what are the odds of him giving a coherent answer, and what are the odds of his answer mattering one little bit anyway? You might as well ask my 8 year-old labrador retriever.
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lol. democrats are king of spying on people...
even spied on the next president.
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Trump's derangement has an impact on a lot of things.
That is not already illegal? (Score:5, Insightful)
Because in any sane legal system, it is.
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Did they at least call ii the "Big Brother" Act? (Score:2, Insightful)
"Someone to claim us, someone to follow
Someone to shame us, some brave Apollo
Someone to fool us, someone like you" - Bowie
âoeBig Brother is Watching You.â
âoeWar is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.â
âoeThe best books... are those that tell you what you know already.â
âoeNow I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure p
You mean the US Govt doesn't use pvt Co's? (Score:2)
Like Halliburton, or the one Ollie North ran to bring in all the cocaine that started Regan's Drug War?
Lol.
Doesn't make sense (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Doesn't make sense (Score:5, Informative)
No. It's right there in the summary (emphasis mine):
There's a difference between Amazon recording you for the purpose of Alexa (a computer program) listening to those recordings and employees (humans) listening to those recordings --- the latter is not disclosed.
Re: (Score:2)
Except the summary is patently false.
It is in fact very clearly outlined in the service agreements for Alexa - JUST AS IT IS FOR Siri (Apple), Google (Assistant) Microsoft (Cortana). It is also very clearly labeled how to opt-out, although it will out of necessity make your experience WORSE because if recordings can't be learnt from then the service will go nowhere.
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And so, of the four US political parties ... (Score:3)
... comprised of Republicans, Democrats, Evangelical Christians and Capitalists, chalk one up for that last one.
Pass the bill (Score:1)
Secret recordings are eavesdropping
Summary is false and misleading (Score:2)
"something not mentioned in Echo's terms of service or FAQ pages."
Actually, it is.
It is also in the TOS and FAQ for Cortana, for Google, for Siri. It is how these services work.
It is also easy to opt out, although that will make your experience suck because then the system can't learn about you.