Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy • Hacker News Board

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#21

Post by mental1896 » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:12 PM UTC

hnnh44 wrote: post #16

tantalor wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Explain how this is an improvement?

I'm wondering this too. Like hey, let's install some under developed AI from some unknown company with unknown security policies on top of a device with access to hordes of personal data and the ability to make transactions online. No hacker will EVER think to use it as an attack vector /s

It's open source:

https://github.com/bjoernkarmann/project_alias

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#22

Post by michaelmior » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:13 PM UTC

Of course now I need to trust the Alias device. That might very well be a good tradeoff, but there's still something always listening.

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#23

Post by michaelmior » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:15 PM UTC

WAthrowaway wrote: post #20

You could also just not buy one of those awful things. I have never seen a legitimate use for it that wasn't misplaced adolescent tech fantasies (omg I can tell big brother to make coffee and my keurig starts up!). But maybe my line of business has made me excessively paranoid / niche I would like to make an edit: functionality for those with disabilities is a huge use-case I did not consider. Thank you for your insi…

I like to be able to play music, ask simple questions, etc. without pulling out my phone. I don't understand why those aren't "legitimate" use cases. Maybe you don't like the tradeoff you're making in using such a device, but if I'm fine with it, how are my uses cases not legitimate?

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#24

Post by decebalus1 » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:20 PM UTC

WAthrowaway wrote: post #20

You could also just not buy one of those awful things. I have never seen a legitimate use for it that wasn't misplaced adolescent tech fantasies (omg I can tell big brother to make coffee and my keurig starts up!). But maybe my line of business has made me excessively paranoid / niche I would like to make an edit: functionality for those with disabilities is a huge use-case I did not consider. Thank you for your insi…

I'm probably biased because I lived my early childhood behind the Iron Curtain but I can't for the life of me understand why someone would buy these. The cost-benefit is just not there.

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#25

Post by throw7 » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:20 PM UTC

Well, props for trying to fix these assistants, but i'm not gonna pay more for what should be already. And, yes, I won't buy those things if I can't change the "name". It's like the first thing I want to do. (full disclosure: i do have a google mini that came as a promotional free gift)

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#26

Post by Cthulhu_ » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:21 PM UTC

goda90 wrote: post #19

So doesn't Alexa already not record until you say the trigger word? If we don't trust that that is the case, then sure this device covers that, but it doesn't change the fact that they are still collecting data on every command you issue to the device.

True, but hopefully that's banal things like "play Despacito" or "What's 2 + 2", not "Please add 'rending me in the gobberwarts with a blurglecruncheon' to my depraved kinks list" or "Set my root password to 'secret123'" or "How do I build a nuke in my basement off of stuff I can order from Amazon".

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#27

Post by ape4 » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:22 PM UTC

Do Alex and Google have software APIs? Can you make a hardware device (eg Raspberry Pi) that listens for a wake up then sends to the API? Seems more elegant.

As a bonus, maybe your device could understand "Alexa..." and "OK Google..." and send to the relevant API. Use Alexa for shopping and Google for searches?

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#28

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:23 PM UTC

iratewizard wrote: post #3

This is a brilliant idea. I'm curious about a lot of the implementation specifics like how audible the white noise is in a silent room and what kind of UX trade offs it brings.

[deleted]

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#29

Post by StavrosK » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:24 PM UTC

michaelmior wrote: post #22

Of course now I need to trust the Alias device. That might very well be a good tradeoff, but there's still something always listening.

Except now you can audit the software and not connect it to the network at all.

Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy

#30

Post by mLuby » Mon, Jan 14, 2019, 4:25 PM UTC

ape4 wrote: post #27

Do Alex and Google have software APIs? Can you make a hardware device (eg Raspberry Pi) that listens for a wake up then sends to the API? Seems more elegant. As a bonus, maybe your device could understand "Alexa..." and "OK Google..." and send to the relevant API. Use Alexa for shopping and Google for searches?

Involves more trust. This has the elegance of not needing to trust the megacorps any more than you care to.