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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,224
Registered: ‎01-26-2013

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices

The thing I don't believe about the story is Amazon saying "it takes privacy very seriously".  Sure they do.  Just as much as Mark Zuckerburg does with Facebook.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,941
Registered: ‎03-30-2010

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices

This may have already been posted;  sorry, I didn't read all the comments.

 

Not only gadgets like Alexa are always listening, but so are some "smart" tv's.  I rember reading "1984" in high school and thought Big Brother, who was always watching and listening through a screen similar to a TV, was ridiculous.  We had TV, but there was no way anyone could see us through it.  Now we have things like Skype, home security systems that can include cameras with memory.  So, it's 1984;  it just arrived a little late. 

 

One more thing, if you are not using your camera on a phone, IPad, or any such electronic device, etc.  keep it covered.  I have a band aid on my IPad.  Believe it or not, there are ways that someone can watch you even though you have no idea.  This came from 2 IT experts.  

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,788
Registered: ‎08-18-2016

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices

I suppose all you have to do is say,

 "I should call Albert" or "Did you call Albert?" and the sequence "call Albert" triggers the dialing.

 

no thanks!

 

I had enough trouble with a phone that would auto-dial the contact I was opened to if I tipped the phone while holding it. It was dialing people at all hours!

Regular Contributor
Posts: 238
Registered: ‎09-04-2014

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices


@this is my nic wrote:

This may have already been posted;  sorry, I didn't read all the comments.

 

Not only gadgets like Alexa are always listening, but so are some "smart" tv's.  I rember reading "1984" in high school and thought Big Brother, who was always watching and listening through a screen similar to a TV, was ridiculous.  We had TV, but there was no way anyone could see us through it.  Now we have things like Skype, home security systems that can include cameras with memory.  So, it's 1984;  it just arrived a little late. 

 

One more thing, if you are not using your camera on a phone, IPad, or any such electronic device, etc.  keep it covered.  I have a band aid on my IPad.  Believe it or not, there are ways that someone can watch you even though you have no idea.  This came from 2 IT experts.  


My son's Samsung smart tv came with a warning in the owner's manual basically saying "watch your conversations." (Sorry, i don't have the owner's manual with me as I type this so I don't recall the exact language.) That was a several years ago.

 

Recall as well, during the last Superbowl, I believe it was ESPN showed a family watching the game and the people at ESPN was watching the family watching football. Cool, huh? Yeah...

 

Sure,we have nothing to hide but I would like to watch tv in my underwear eating Doritos in privacy without anyone judging me. I always believed in the surveillance state.

 

My daughter has done this experiment as well with her smart phone (Samsung).  We talked about someone (a real person) who she hasn't seen for a long time, while she had her phone out.  The next time she accessed her FB on her phone, there was a suggested friend request (or whatever they call it. I'm not on FB) for this person we were talking about.  We also done this experiment saying we owned a horse and needed to find a new vet.  I'll let you guess what popped up on her FB ads.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,390
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices

I love my Echo and if Alexa want to listen to me talk to dogs, she's welcome to it.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,980
Registered: ‎03-05-2011

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices

@Marp  I have discovered recently that we are being watched and or listened to by everything.  If you have a smart phone, a smart TV, Amazon sticks or Roku, and of course devices like Alexa. I unfortunatly have them all.  If you have Cable, Fios, or whatever , they also have access to all devices.   I guess it is a choice , Do we live like the cave man?  Or do we go with the flow.   It is very scary out there.  Oh yes and don't forget all laptops, and ipads and everything else that has  a camera.   

 

Top that off  everything we post on face book or twitter and seriously even here.   

 

I put an Alexa in my bathroom and I hope she is enjoying what she hears in there   LOL

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,188
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices

@KingstonsMom

Especially if it isn't with her husband!!!!!

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,783
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices

I won't even talk in front of my Roomba anymore!  Woman LOL

~The only difference between this place and the Titanic is that the Titanic had a band.~
Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,345
Registered: ‎05-01-2010

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices

I thought everyone knew all about all of your devices.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,709
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Be Careful What You Say Around Echo Devices


@BalletBabe wrote:

@Marp  I have discovered recently that we are being watched and or listened to by everything.  If you have a smart phone, a smart TV, Amazon sticks or Roku, and of course devices like Alexa. I unfortunatly have them all.  If you have Cable, Fios, or whatever , they also have access to all devices.   I guess it is a choice , Do we live like the cave man?  Or do we go with the flow.   It is very scary out there.  Oh yes and don't forget all laptops, and ipads and everything else that has  a camera.   

 

Top that off  everything we post on face book or twitter and seriously even here.   

 

I put an Alexa in my bathroom and I hope she is enjoying what she hears in there   LOL


Your ISP can identify what devices are connected to your router either by ethernet or wifi but they cannot "access" connected devices, at least not in the conventional sense of access.  They cannot turn devices on or off.  They cannot access data. They cannot give commands to devices.  All they can do it see if a device is connected to the internet.

 

I have disabled the webcam in my laptop and have renamed the device driver so no one can accidentally enable it and I have the lens covered.  Same with the microphone. My "smartphone" has been outsmarted by the off button except when I'm using it.  I call my Echo "Echo" not Alexa which minimizes accidental activation.

 

I take reasonable precautions, particularly with access to my router by a strong password, but I don't stress over digital security.  I have done the best I can and stay updated.

 

As an aside if you go to the control panel of your router you too can see what is connected.

The eyes through which you see others may be the same as how they see you.