The fly on the wall: Your Echo will send everything you say to Amazon — NO OPT-OUT

• Starting March 28, Alexa will no longer process voice requests locally on Echo devices. All voice commands will be sent to Amazon’s cloud for processing, even for users who previously opted out of cloud storage via the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” feature. This change eliminates user control over whether voice data is stored remotely.
• Amazon’s decision comes amid ongoing privacy issues, including past controversies like indefinite storage of children’s voice recordings, employee access to voice clips for training, and legal settlements over privacy violations. The shift to mandatory cloud processing raises alarms among privacy advocates and users.
• Users who choose not to save voice recordings will lose access to Voice ID, a feature enabling personalized functions like calendar sharing and music preferences. Amazon’s policy forces users to decide between retaining functionality or maintaining privacy, creating a contentious dilemma.
• The change supports Amazon’s new subscription-based Alexa+ service, which relies on cloud processing for advanced generative AI features. Amazon aims to make Alexa profitable by monetizing premium capabilities, but this strategy requires users to accept reduced privacy protections.
• Echo owners must adapt to Amazon’s new privacy policies by March 28 or consider alternatives. The shift marks the end of local processing for Alexa, highlighting the broader tech industry trend of prioritizing AI advancements over user privacy.

Amazon is rolling out its premium AI version of Alexa to Echo devices soon, and it’s bringing some major privacy changes. Starting March 28, Alexa will no longer let you process voice requests on your device locally. Instead, everything you say will be sent to Amazon’s cloud for processing, even if you previously turned off voice recordings. This move marks a significant shift in how Amazon handles user privacy, and it’s raising alarms among privacy advocates and Echo owners alike.

The end of local processing

For years, Echo users have had the option to enable a feature called “Do Not Send Voice Recordings,” which allowed Alexa to process voice commands locally on the device rather than sending them to Amazon’s servers. This feature was a privacy safeguard for those who didn’t want their conversations with Alexa stored in the cloud. But as of March 28, that option is disappearing.

In an email sent to customers, Amazon explained the change: “As we continue to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature.” The company claims that the shift is necessary to support the advanced capabilities of Alexa+, its new subscription-based AI assistant.

However, this decision means that Echo users will no longer have control over whether their voice recordings are sent to Amazon. Even if you’ve previously opted out of cloud processing, your device will now automatically send everything you say to Alexa to Amazon’s servers.

A history of privacy concerns

Amazon’s decision to eliminate local processing comes amid a long history of privacy concerns surrounding Alexa. In 2023, the company agreed to pay $25 million in civil penalties after it was revealed that Amazon stored recordings of children’s interactions with Alexa indefinitely. Adults, too, were left in the dark about Amazon’s data retention practices until 2019 — five years after the first Echo was released.

Adding to the unease, Amazon has allowed employees to listen to Alexa voice recordings to improve its speech recognition systems. A 2019 Bloomberg report revealed that Amazon employees listened to as many as 1,000 audio clips during their shifts. While Amazon claims these recordings are anonymized, the practice has left many users uncomfortable.

Further complicating matters, Alexa recordings have been used as evidence in criminal trials, and Amazon has faced legal action over privacy violations related to its Ring cameras. In 2023, the company paid a settlement after the Federal Trade Commission alleged that Amazon allowed “thousands of employees and contractors to watch video recordings of customers’ private spaces.”

Save recordings or lose functionality

Amazon is attempting to mitigate concerns by stating that it will delete voice recordings after processing them, unless users choose to save them. However, there’s a catch: If you set your Echo to “Don’t save recordings,” you’ll lose access to the Voice ID feature, which enables personalized functions like sharing calendar events, reminders and music preferences.

As Amazon’s email explains: “If you choose not to save any voice recordings, Voice ID may not work.” This effectively forces users to choose between privacy and functionality. For many, this feels like a lose-lose situation.

Amazon has defended the change, stating that “Alexa voice requests are always encrypted in transit to Amazon’s secure cloud,” and that users can still access privacy controls through the Alexa Privacy dashboard. However, the company’s decision to prioritize its new Alexa+ subscription service over user privacy has left a sour taste for many.

The bigger picture: Alexa+ and Amazon’s future

Amazon’s push for Alexa+ reflects the company’s broader strategy to make its voice assistant profitable. Despite its popularity, Alexa has reportedly been a financial drain on Amazon, and the company is betting big on Alexa+ to turn things around. By integrating generative AI and advanced features like Voice ID, Amazon hopes to convince users to pay for a premium version of Alexa.

But this strategy comes at a cost. As Amazon prioritizes profitability, it’s asking users to make significant privacy concessions. For some, the trade-off may be worth it; for others, it’s a dealbreaker.

As one Reddit user lamented, “So I now have to worry my Echo is recording everything.” Another commented, “I’m going downstairs to unplug and trash my Alexa right now!”

What’s next for echo users?

For Echo owners, the clock is ticking. Starting March 28, your device will no longer process voice commands locally, and everything you say to Alexa will be sent to Amazon’s cloud. If you want to retain full functionality, you’ll need to allow Amazon to save your voice recordings — a decision that raises serious privacy concerns.

Amazon’s move underscores a growing tension in the tech industry: as companies race to integrate AI into their products, user privacy is often the first casualty. For Echo users, the choice is clear: adapt to Amazon’s new privacy policies or consider alternatives. Either way, the era of local processing for Alexa is over—and with it, a significant layer of privacy protection.

Sources include:

Wired.com

NYPost.com

MSN.com