How to avoid an eavesdropping Alexa

It’s been called the “Alexa eavesdropping scandal” – the story of a woman in Portland whose Amazon Echo recorded a private conversation she and her husband were having at home, and then sent the recording to a contact up in Seattle. She only found out when she got a call from her contact recounting everything she’d said.

So, she immediately unplugged her Echo devices.

Well, she displayed them for the TV reporter.

She had FIVE!

They were everywhere! Picking up pretty much every sound made anywhere in the house. And she had activated the message skill, to enable Alexa to send messages by voice command. Well, when you do that in a house where every sound is in earshot of a smart speaker there is always the risk of a verbal butt dial, or a terrible misunderstanding.

Alexa, send a message: “Out to lunch too bad we missed you.”
“Sending message: About to launch the nuclear missiles.”

So maybe you don’t activate the message skill.

I primarily use our Echo as a kitchen timer. So even if someone did eavesdrop, all they’d find out is how long it takes me to saute kale.

Come to think of it another thing you could do is change the wake up name to something that you would never say by accident. Like Rumplestiltskin. Or “More kale please.” Problem solved.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/thedaveross