I think Alexa is listening to us when it’s not supposed to be

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Does Bezos and his ilk look like the kind of people you could trust with your personal data?

Having said that I know someone who is very paranoid and yet he has Alexa listening in on everything going on inside his house.
(Fake Moon landings, 9/11 truther etc.)

I'd be more worried about his girlfriend/ fiancé/ wife lady.

[zakthor]

The joke at Amazon is that they wanted it as a sales/marketing data access point, and found people will actually pay them for the devices.

Can’t believe people have them in their houses, is just not a future I want to live in. We see them on ‘sale’ and just laugh. Same with meta and their ar/vr…

The products are a triumph of marketing.

[Dpmulvan]

[greglepore]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

A few weeks ago I was talking to my wife about the Janus motorcycle I ended up buying. Then she started getting Facebook ads for Janus motorcycles. As did I. There is no doubt in my mind that the phone is always on to receiving voice information and passing it onto various apps.

I dunno, I suspect you looked at the bike online before the conversation, no?
I'm much more suspicious of where our online data goes (b/c we've consented in the terms of use that we never read) than I am of Amazon listening.

But still, no Alexa for me. Siri is unavoidable but Apple has a history of data security.

[Sooner or later]

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend about how it would be to be super rich. Next day I had a billion dollars in my checking account.

Thanks, Alexa!

[cstreit]

We've tried several experiments where everyone in the family talked about a certain product for several weeks - one that was completely unrelated to us. We did it in front of phones and amazon devices.

Never got a related ad.

You sure you didn't search for this on the internet somewhere - email it in gmail - or perhaps your wife did?

[hbueno]

Originally Posted by cstreit

We've tried several experiments where everyone in the family talked about a certain product for several weeks - one that was completely unrelated to us. We did it in front of phones and amazon devices.

Never got a related ad.

You sure you didn't search for this on the internet somewhere - email it in gmail - or perhaps your wife did?

This is exactly it. The mics are not listening, but your online behavior is tracked and correlated with geo-location. IP address,, nearby phones, nearby computers, Facebook accounts, etc. All fhose bits of information add up to very unique signatures that are targeted for advertieing

[VINMAN]

There are ads popping up that for things I have spoken about , but never ever once did a search even remotely close to it.

.

[stevej37]

I sometimes use my Alexa Show to display photos that I have on my laptop. Just ask.."Alexa..show my photos." It will randomly keep showing your photos all day long...about 10 sec per photo.

I've noticed, more than once, a random photo will appear that I've never taken or seen before.
Never of other people...but homes and scenery pics.

[porsche930dude]

the other day i was at aldi looking at the chicken noodle soups thinking about buying one. store brand and chunky brand. My brother said dont get that its too salty. I got one anyway. None of us have cell phones. A few hours later i get home go on facebook and a big campblells chicken noodle soup ad first thing

[cabmandone]

I walk around my house saying things like "Porn" or "Hot young blonde girls" just so my wife has a reason to be mad at me later on.

[stevej37]

[john70t]

Originally Posted by porsche930dude

the other day i was at aldi looking at the chicken noodle soups thinking about buying one. store brand and chunky brand. My brother said dont get that its too salty. I got one anyway. None of us have cell phones. A few hours later i get home go on facebook and a big campblells chicken noodle soup ad first thing

Heh. Want to get paranoid?

The store can use cameras w/facial recognition software and smartphone pings to identify you, even when paying cash.
(yeah it's already started)
It tracks your movements throughout the entire store: What you looked at. How much time you spent looking. Your route speed and efficacy of signs. Did you skip any sections such as the feminine isle or big-ticket home supplies which might require more borrowing. What you bought vs. what you looked at. Were you rude to other shoppers or make them feel comfortable. Social credit. Bespoke pricing.

Walk by the candy isle and the Hostess Twinky jingle starts playing over the loudspeakers.

It sells that data to social media.
Actually any smart phone geo-location can do almost all that, by itself.
Paired with outward cameras on other phones it creates a complete map of all human activity.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by john70t

Heh. Want to get paranoid?

The store can use cameras w/facial recognition software and smartphone pings to identify you, even when paying cash.

This tech was in Blade Runner in 1982. Obviously fiction back then, but somebody had the vision.

[Mahler9th]

I have a friend that is CEO of an advertising tech start up.

Lots of things are brewing.

[Mahler9th]

"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."

- Hamlet

Alexa is moving into new territory that may be helpful to some, perhaps many.

https://www.amazon.com/Alexa-Together/b?ie=UTF8&node=21390531011

[rusnak]

So what you're saying is if you think you got away with shoplifting a croissant at Whole Foods, then not so fast, some goons might show up at your house in a smiley faced grey van to haul you off. You might be carted away to China to have a chip implanted in your head where you are programmed to work in a factory or a distribution "fulfillment" center.

[Jims5543]

I just changed a few settings on my Samsung phone, thought I would share this with you, I already had a few of these setting right, now I have them all.

[pmax]

The standard workaround is to overwhelm the end user with settings no one bothers.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by john70t

The store can use cameras w/facial recognition software and smartphone pings to identify you...

Originally Posted by porsche930dude

None of us have cell phones.