Many of us have Amazon Echo devices (better known as Alexa) in our homes. Some of you were lucky enough to open one as a present this holiday season. However, you might not know that although you can technically keep your Alexa device anywhere in your house, you should never keep it in your bedroom.
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The Alexa device is handy for a variety of things. It can do anything from playing your favorite music to answering questions you don’t feel like searching for yourself. However, because the device is designed to take commands from the sound of your voice, it is naturally intended to always be listening and, therefore, can record your conversations without your consent.
Everyone who purchases an Alexa must consent to the fact that it could often be recording you, so it may give you more peace of mind by keeping it in the same spot you feel comfortable having company in.
According to Amazon, Alexa is triggered by what is known as a ‘wake’ word. This is a word that wakes up the device to begin recording your request. Most Alexa devices come with the default wake word ‘Alexa,’ but you can change it to another word if you’d like. That being said, Amazon has also said that the device can be accidentally woken up even when the wake word isn’t mentioned, especially if you say a word that sounds similar to your wake word. Because of this, keeping the device away from the more intimate parts of your home, such as your bedroom and bathroom, would be wise.
Instead, leave your Alexa in spaces where you’d be more likely to host guests, such as the living room or kitchen.
As unsettling as it may seem, the staff at Amazon likely hears some of the private conversations you have near your Alexa device. Amazon confirmed this as true; however, it ensured customers that the staff only listens to the conversations for research purposes to improve the device’s understanding of human speech for future updates. Every member of the Alexa staff at Amazon reviews up to 1,000 audio clips per day.
You can Mute Alexa echos – the speaker or display will have a mute button that looks like this
If you want to stop Amazon and Alexa from snooping on you completely, be sure to unplug any Alexa devices when not in use. Don’t forget – Alexa is always listening!
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