Amazon's Alexa Collects More of Your Data Than Any Other Smart Assistant (pcmag.com) 32
According to a survey from Reviews.org, Amazon's Alexa collects more data from users than any of the other digital assistants analyzed, which included the Google Assistant, Siri, Bixby, and Cortana. PCMag reports: All five services collect your name, phone number, device location, and IP address; the names and numbers of your contacts; your interaction history; and the apps you use. If you don't like that information being stored, you probably shouldn't use a voice assistant. In the survey, 60% of respondents were concerned about someone listening to their voice recordings, which is a real fear, since Google and Apple have both been caught doing just that. While Google Assistant and Siri now need your permission to record your interactions, the other options record you by default.
Which option is the most invasive? Analysis by Reviews.org found that Alexa collects 37 of the 48 possible data points, the most data out of any other. Samsung's Bixby collected 34 points of data, and Cortana collects 32 data points. Meanwhile, Siri collects just 30, and Google's smart assistant takes only 28, making them the least invasive. While 76% of Americans report that they use smart assistants, 61% are concerned that these programs and devices are always listening to them in the background. And people have had a hard time alleviating those fearsâ"only 45% of users have tried to disable their smart assistant, with 38% reporting they couldn't figure out how.
Which option is the most invasive? Analysis by Reviews.org found that Alexa collects 37 of the 48 possible data points, the most data out of any other. Samsung's Bixby collected 34 points of data, and Cortana collects 32 data points. Meanwhile, Siri collects just 30, and Google's smart assistant takes only 28, making them the least invasive. While 76% of Americans report that they use smart assistants, 61% are concerned that these programs and devices are always listening to them in the background. And people have had a hard time alleviating those fearsâ"only 45% of users have tried to disable their smart assistant, with 38% reporting they couldn't figure out how.
Love this part (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
"only 45% of users have tried to disable their smart assistant
Maybe they could try a ball peen hammer...?
Re:Love this part (Score:4, Funny)
Yes. They made a documentary [imdb.com] about it about 15 years ago. The most effective way to disable the personal assistant apps is, by the way, to drown the device in Brawndo.
Re: (Score:2)
It's the electrolytes!
If only (Score:4, Insightful)
61% are concerned that these programs and devices are always listening to them in the background. And people have had a hard time alleviating those fears
If only there was a way to, like, not have one of these in your house.
Re: (Score:2)
What's a Mac computer? Is that also obligatory in your country?
Re: (Score:1)
How about my Linux computer?
Re: (Score:2)
61% are concerned that these programs and devices are always listening to them in the background. And people have had a hard time alleviating those fears
If only there was a way to, like, not have one of these in your house.
But, you see, it's like not buying things from Amazon. It can't be done.
Re: (Score:2)
If only there was a way to, like, not have one of these in your house.
"Alexa, how do I not buy you, not take you out of the box, and not plug you in and set you up?"
FOAD Google! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
call me a filthy luddite, but .. what's the use case for a fridge or tv including a 'digital assistant'? Does someone really need bezos's help to make sure they don't run out of eggs?
Re: FOAD Google! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Does someone really need bezos's help to make sure they don't run out of eggs?
I personally don't believe there is a single person in the world actually using this "prompt me to reorder $PRODUCT" feature.
It's a bullshit idea that no one ever wanted or asked for.
Some engineer came up with the idea as a way to make it look like he's innovating or whatever. He probably never expected anyone to take it seriously.
And yet... (Score:3)
...nowhere do they say exactly *what* data is being collected. Websites I visit are likely collecting more data than my Echos have any access to. When the article doesn't give you any useful information, it's just fearmongering.
Re: (Score:2)
...beyond the common ones, I mean. And I deliberately never gave it access to my contacts.
Wake word detection is necessary (Score:3)
61% are concerned that these programs and devices are always listening to them in the background
Why are these folks concerned? Of course the devices are always listening to them. They have to listen in order to perform wake word detection, e.g. "Hey Siri, ..." . That's how these devices work.
Google respects your privacy (Score:1)
Kind of undermines all the iBoys suggesting Apple cares about your privacy while Google doesn't.
Any good open source alternatives (Score:2)
... that keep their computation on the local network?
The idea of a "smart speaker" and "assistant" sounds kind of neat, but I'd only want one that keeps all the data and computation on my network, not on a corporate advertising/data-collection server.
This rapist... (Score:2)
This one rapist is 50% more rapey than those other rapists. News at 11.
Re: (Score:2)
Installing an Alexa device in your house is consensual
Kind of like on the Snap-On truck it says past this step it's consensual
If you don't want it, don't install it. No one is going to sneak up and fuck you with a fire tv remote with microphone
Re: (Score:2)
Installing an Alexa device in your house is consensual
We just woke up one day and found one in every room.
And this is news? (Score:2)
It has been clear for ages that Alexa is little more than a spy that you have to pay for in the first place.
Just say no to Amazon. You will soon see the difference in your bank account. Buying less 'we think that you would like [TAT]' will save you money.
not true (Score:2)
It is google that collects the most information. They may not do it all through their home ai. I can walk pass a store and would get a survey in google rewards as to which store I recently visited and the store I walked by or stopped at will be in the list. Google already has your age, your payment info, and the other info the chart shows google don't have.
When I registered for google home years ago, I had saving history disable in my google account. Had to turn it on in order to use google
Something just snapped.. (Score:2)
I used to be deadset against these invasive devices, but I lost my mind one day and bought one of the Amazon Echo/Dot, whatEVER the fuck they call them, to be a cheap way to be able to listen to my favorite SiriusXM channels in the house. Mind you, I never gave it access to my contacts, and oh how hard it tried to get that info, but I stayed firm. However, after reading this article, I went and unplugged the fucking thing, and can't decide either to throw it in the garbage, or put it on eBay for some other
SUCKERS! (Score:2)
The 2nd best way to be sure... (Score:1)