Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#221

Post by agildehaus » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:06 PM UTC

alpaca128 wrote: post #148

eyjafjallajokul wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe a naive question, but how are they any worse than having phones with non-transparent hardware/radio drivers in your living room? We seem to have accepted that risk, and even carry phones around everywhere.

We use smartphones for the same reason we don't avoid any non-free software like Stallman: a huge amount of additional possibilities. But what Alexa, Siri etc. offer is just a different way to use a limited set of existing features, in exchange for a much higher risk of a privacy breach. Everyone needs to draw a line somewhere, I just don't see a reason to use voice assistants, definitely not with internet connectivi…

They keep all recordings because they train their voice recognition off them. GOOG-411 kept all recordings too, for the same reason, as do hundreds of other services, but I don't recall anyone caring about them.

Google gives you a UI to view and delete your recordings and suddenly they're monsters.

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#222

Post by amai » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:07 PM UTC

randyrand wrote: post #23

Is there a good non-internet connected device for turning on lights with your voice?

Have a look at https://www.openjarvis.com/ . For an english tutorial see https://www.tutonaut.de/howt-to-build-an-amazon-echo-like-de...

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#223

Post by saagarjha » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:09 PM UTC

amai wrote: post #204

There is an alternative to the spying devices of Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft: https://snips.ai/technology/ "Our technology runs on-device, works offline and guarantees Privacy by Design"

How does this device grab the current weather and buy things offline?

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#224

Post by Kiro » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:09 PM UTC

onetimemanytime wrote: post #128

I feel for average, clueless Joe that has limited knowledge, but anyone that has average and above average knowledge of tech, deserves what he /she gets in these cases. How stupid or tech ignorant would you have to be to add a device that records you in your home? Imagine, fights /sex with wife, lover, arguments with kids, talk about drug deals, tax evasion, leaving job, stealing neighbors home, cheating on husband /…

Still worth it for me. And if they actually recorded all that and used it against me it would be like living in a real dystopian science-fiction movie, which would be an awesome experience in itself. Similar like how you want to experience a zombie apocalypse. Yes, I think it's that unlikely.

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#225

Post by binomialxenon » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:12 PM UTC

saagarjha wrote: post #223

amai wrote: post #204

There is an alternative to the spying devices of Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft: https://snips.ai/technology/ "Our technology runs on-device, works offline and guarantees Privacy by Design"

How does this device grab the current weather and buy things offline?

It can get data from the internet, I think the point is that it "lives" on-device and hence can be interacted with offline, unlike Siri/Alexa/Cortana which live entirely on the company's servers.

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#226

Post by jakeogh » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:13 PM UTC

briandear wrote: post #100

LinuxBender wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) Nobody can prove that. It's always listening and you have to assume always recording and transmitting. 2) My phone is a $12 throw away that speaks voice and sms (text). 3) Loose lips sink ships.

And your SMS is logged as well as cell towers to which you connect. Is the “phone company” more secure than any other? If you really are someone in need of a tin foil hat, you should ditch the phone completely and communicate solely with dead drops and one-time pads.

Fun to watch the venerable "tin foil hat" lose it's luster.

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#227

Post by cmsimike » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:13 PM UTC

amai wrote: post #204

There is an alternative to the spying devices of Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft: https://snips.ai/technology/ "Our technology runs on-device, works offline and guarantees Privacy by Design"

Been using snips in 3 different rooms in my home for about a year now, hooked into home assistant, with many custom actions that I specifically made for my apartment. I LOVE being able to control my apartment without the need for the internet.

Too bad local control seems to be a luxury these days, rather than the standard.

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#228

Post by saagarjha » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:14 PM UTC

matte_black wrote: post #103

accnumnplus1 wrote: post #12

This is just facebook all over again. Why can't people see trouble-tech? I never used facebook and won't ever use an alexa, nor whatever google's thing is.

The thing is that for most people avoiding this kind of tech and platforms is unlikely to have any kind of payoff for them. Life is too short. Most peoples lives are as simple as going to school and work, raising a family, taking vacations, paying bills, and then passing away. There will never be a moment where they can say “ Yes! My avoidance of Facebook and Alexa for all my life has finally paid off! Hahaha! ” The…

I agree with the sibling comment, but just had to respond to this:

> The average person has nothing of interest to offer except more information about them in order to better perceive trends and distribute ads to them so that maybe they buy something.

This is a remarkably dehumanizing way of looking at people. You’re basically saying that people have nothing useful to offer except things we can use to sell them more stuff.

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#229

Post by drewmol » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:15 PM UTC

snazz wrote: post #163

drewmol wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>except the Play store Workaround: 1)Install F-Droid (f-droid.org) 2) Install Yalp Store from F-Droid

Even if you do this, on a standard Android device, there is still Google Play Services installed, which has every permission available on your device. You have to install a fresh custom ROM like LineageOS without GApps to avoid this.

Good point. You should install LineageOS first, you can then select the GApps bundle size you need or try and replace them with FOSS alternatives. For me, Yalp Store has made using LineageOS + minimal, permission sandboxed google services a bearable experience.

Re: Amazon Sends 1,700 Alexa Voice Recordings to a Random Person

#230

Post by wavefunction » Thu, Dec 20, 2018, 10:16 PM UTC

saagarjha wrote: post #223

amai wrote: post #204

There is an alternative to the spying devices of Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft: https://snips.ai/technology/ "Our technology runs on-device, works offline and guarantees Privacy by Design"

How does this device grab the current weather and buy things offline?

I believe the intention is providing a voice recognition system you can use to interface with other things, like APIs. Products from Big Data (in my usage like Big Oil, Big Tobacco, etc.) offer convenience at the cost of privacy. For many people, this is a minor trade-off. For others, alternatives with perhaps less convenience.