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Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

bbc.com

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Re: Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

#11

Post by kaino128 »

Can you call emergency services via Amazon Echo? I've read on a car forum I'm part of about someone who was working on their vehicle without jack stands and got trapped when their jack slipped. They used Siri to call their wife and jack the car back up. They probably would have died without it.

I can easily forsee a future where consumers ask companies for voice assistants that turn on automatically when they detect duress (not needing to say "Alexa ...") before one where governments actually compel product manufacturers to do this.

Re: Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

#12

Post by maxerickson »

phantarch wrote: post #7

How is echo audio data substantially different than something like a tape recorder that was live in the man's home? What about a cell phone that was on a call at the time of the alleged murder? I definitely understand wanting to ensure reasonable privacy for users, but to me it feels an awful lot of a stretch to say that the echo is off-limits in this case.

Where the data is stored is a fundamental difference.

That was one of Amazon's primary arguments, that they had not received a warrant valid in a relevant jurisdiction.

Re: Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

#13

Post by phantarch »

maxerickson wrote: post #12
phantarch wrote: post #7

How is echo audio data substantially different than something like a tape recorder that was live in the man's home? What about a cell phone that was on a call at the time of the alleged murder? I definitely understand wanting to ensure reasonable privacy for users, but to me it feels an awful lot of a stretch to say that the echo is off-limits in this case.

Where the data is stored is a fundamental difference. That was one of Amazon's primary arguments, that they had not received a warrant valid in a relevant jurisdiction.

Interesting, thanks for letting me know.

Jurisdiction seems like a concept that is going to change a lot in the next decade if that's the basis for argument.

Re: Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

#14

Post by d3ckard »

cmdrfred wrote: post #10
gjjrfcbugxbhf wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But how long before lack of consent is considered incriminating? There are also many different jurisdictions which don't have 5th amendment style protections.

Wouldn't a jurisdiction without 5th amendment protections be unconstitutional?

We do not all live in the USA.

Re: Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

#15

Post by [deleted] »

cmdrfred wrote: post #10
gjjrfcbugxbhf wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But how long before lack of consent is considered incriminating? There are also many different jurisdictions which don't have 5th amendment style protections.

Wouldn't a jurisdiction without 5th amendment protections be unconstitutional?

[deleted]

Re: Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

#17

Post by danielsamuels »

tribune wrote: post #16

I own an Echo and this is part of the reason it now sits unplugged. To be honest, it doesn't provide enough value for me to consider potentially compromising the privacy of my home.

Without trying being rude, surely this was obvious before you purchased it?

Re: Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

#18

Post by shshhdhs »

koolba wrote: post #3

This should be a lesson to people who don't understand the distinction between "can't" and "won't". If you're running things yourself and control the encryption keys required to access your data, then your service provider can't be compelled to release your data as it's not possible[1][2]. If you're delegating all of that to your service provider and they have access to the raw data, then you are putting all your tru…

They can only reveal voice data IF the victim said "Alexa" when the crime was taking place. If the victim didn't say "Alexa" that day, then there's nothing to reveal. Your example about encryption doesn't make sense in the context of the Echo.

Re: Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

#19

Post by maxerickson »

phantarch wrote: post #13
maxerickson wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where the data is stored is a fundamental difference. That was one of Amazon's primary arguments, that they had not received a warrant valid in a relevant jurisdiction.

Interesting, thanks for letting me know. Jurisdiction seems like a concept that is going to change a lot in the next decade if that's the basis for argument.

There's already procedures to deal with it.

I think it isn't the same (hacking vs a provider handing over data), but the FBI has been working to assert broad jurisdiction:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-congress-idUSKBN...

Re: Amazon to hand over Echo audio from alleged murder after defendant consents

#20

Post by shshhdhs »

tribune wrote: post #16

I own an Echo and this is part of the reason it now sits unplugged. To be honest, it doesn't provide enough value for me to consider potentially compromising the privacy of my home.

Mentioned this in another comment, but they can only reveal voice data IF the victim said "Alexa" when the crime was taking place. If the victim didn't say "Alexa" that day, then there's nothing to reveal.
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