Alexa is getting creepy

[Kaido]

Would really be nice if some open source phone/OS came out that was NOT android based but actually it's own OS built with security and privacy in mind from ground up and no cloud crap. Like a Linux equivalent to the phone.

FWIW, Android is actually a Linux distribution.

There have been some projects like Blackphone to try to lock things down, but it's a very difficult thing to do. They now offer a secure iOS/Android app instead & have a VPN/IPS/Firewall service available. But part of the problem with any VPN-style service is that you're basically taking someone's word that it is secure, when there can be other factors involved:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/justinesha...x-when-the-nsa-shows-up-at-your-internet-comp

And businesses are in business to make money:

https://gizmodo.com/moviepass-ceo-brags-app-tracks-your-location-before-and-1823525088

I held off from getting an Echo for a long time, despite being a smarthome enthusiast, and finally caved when I realized our phones already spy on us, and even if you dump social media & don't own a smartphone, everyone around you still does. Not to mention B&M trackers, satellites, etc. It's not just Hollywood stuff anymore. Snowden tried to spread the word; it just turned out that nobody really cares, haha. I do, but not enough to forego getting an Echo for every room in my house lol.

 

[Alpha One Seven]

Alexa is great, couldn't go back to not having them. We named ours 'computer' though.

 

[Alpha One Seven]

Mine has done stuff without asking. It's weird.

But it lets me turn off the lights without getting off the couch, so I guess the total & constant invasion of my privacy is worth the trade-off.

It responds to syllabic rhythms. They may or may not be what was actually said or heard by it though.

 

[Alpha One Seven]

No, but I did ask something like "Alexa, are you listening to me all of the time?"

I think it said "I don't understand the question".

It does listen and record 5 seconds and then records over that 5 seconds ad infinitum, so at most there is 5 seconds of recording available if anyone cared; which, if they did, there are a lot more effective ways to listen in on anyone, anytime, anywhere.

 

[ao_ika_red]

First this...

And all of a sudden it's turning into this...

Beware human!

 

[Kaido]

It responds to syllabic rhythms. They may or may not be what was actually said or heard by it though.

Yeah, I've noticed that with certain similar words.

My wife felt guilty bossing the Echo around by name (Alexa), so she changed the activation keyword to "Computer" to depersonalize it

 

[Red Squirrel]

FWIW, Android is actually a Linux distribution.

There have been some projects like Blackphone to try to lock things down, but it's a very difficult thing to do. They now offer a secure iOS/Android app instead & have a VPN/IPS/Firewall service available. But part of the problem with any VPN-style service is that you're basically taking someone's word that it is secure, when there can be other factors involved:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/justinesha...x-when-the-nsa-shows-up-at-your-internet-comp

And businesses are in business to make money:

https://gizmodo.com/moviepass-ceo-brags-app-tracks-your-location-before-and-1823525088

I held off from getting an Echo for a long time, despite being a smarthome enthusiast, and finally caved when I realized our phones already spy on us, and even if you dump social media & don't own a smartphone, everyone around you still does. Not to mention B&M trackers, satellites, etc. It's not just Hollywood stuff anymore. Snowden tried to spread the word; it just turned out that nobody really cares, haha. I do, but not enough to forego getting an Echo for every room in my house lol.

The issue is android is still filled with spy crap. We need a distro that is 100% free of spy stuff, and does not have any "call home" stuff built in. Everything you do on your phone is monitored by google. VPN won't really help since the phone is still sending lot of data to Google, advertisers etc. that's the issue. It also listens to your conversations so it can send relevant ads. I've seen many times where I see ads based on conversations with coworkers. I use adblock etc but if I happen to find myself on a computer or VM where I did not install it yet then I'll see the ads and they are always relevant to activities I did on or around my phone.

Part of the issue too is the fact that most people don't care. Which is sickening. It's like not caring about freedom of speech. People raise a huge fuss over right to bare arms but there are much more important things that should be fought, like privacy.

 

[Exterous]

My wife felt guilty bossing the Echo around by name (Alexa), so she changed the activation keyword to "Computer" to depersonalize it

And this is how the oppression of sentient AI starts

 

[HomerJS]

It's laughing at they ways it's about to kill off humanity.

I smell another episode of Black Mirror

 

[clamum]

I asked mine to laugh last night, I said "Alexa, can you laugh" and it went "Sure! <and then in a kid's voice> Tee hee." It does sound like a normal human voice and not Alexa's normal "computer" voice. I then tried "Alexa, laugh" and the blue ring flashed but it didn't do anything (I think they patched that).

 

[Alpha One Seven]

Yeah, I've noticed that with certain similar words.

My wife felt guilty bossing the Echo around by name (Alexa), so she changed the activation keyword to "Computer" to depersonalize it

We did it because we always like the computer in Star Trek.

 

[Alpha One Seven]

First this...

And all of a sudden it's turning into this...

Beware human!

Is this upgrade available now? I want some!!

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

The best use of these devices is for shows like South Park to add "Hairy Scrotum Balls" to their shopping lists when they have an episode on.

 

[urvile]

In this thread : people paranoid about listening devices in the home but have Facebook applications installed on their phones.

I have never used facebook that would be a step to far. Not only do they sell your web browsing data to advertisers. They also run psychological experiments on their users without telling them but hey it's free right?

I also don't understand why someone would want such intrusive tech in their house. EULAs change.