[ad_1]
Alexa of Amazon becomes an integral part of our homes and our lifestyles. In fact, so many people have embraced Alexa in their lives that Amazon has even released a "children's edition" of its popular Echo Dot – bringing the virtual assistant to children's rooms around the world.
Alexa may be useful for homework and music, but the vocal assistant's penchant for journaling conversations may not appeal to parents. A recent complaint by the FTC filed by consumer groups deals precisely with this – alleging that "children's" echo products collect voice recordings and personal information from children.
We've already talked about Alexa's bad listening habits, but this recent controversy from the online retail giant makes parents nervous for the right reasons. It's one thing when businesses poke into our data, but what can they want from our kids?
Does Amazon listen to your children via Alexa?
Previously, Amazon was called for the way it processed the data stored on its voice assistant systems. In theory, the idea is that the recordings are stored in the device, sent to Amazon for transcription and introduced into the algorithm to improve Alexa's speech recognition. It works on paper, but the ethics behind this process is at best debatable.
This is especially true for children who are not old enough to consent to the complex privacy agreements Amazon provides as adults would. By offering "child-friendly" versions of its products, Amazon is able to impose the same data collection tactics it applies to adult customers.
This, for obvious reasons, has pushed parents and consumer groups to take a stand against the direction taken by Amazon. Many organizations have come together to file a 96-page complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in order to end the collection of data on children from Amazon once and for all.
How to remove my child's information from Alexa?
Just like with traditional Echo products, you must sign in to your Amazon account and listen to the records stored in the account's privacy settings. However, this disables parental controls and other features that make the device user friendly. This raises the question, why would Amazon even release such a product in the first place?
Amazon claims that the device complies with the law on protecting children's online privacy, but points out that data collection is necessary to improve Alexa products for future releases. This sounds a little sketchy, however, considering Amazon's previous controversies and its controversy over data collection and targeted advertising.
Children, even if they do not have their own income, are prime advertising targets for toy, game and clothing manufacturers. It is logical to assume that the interaction patterns of children with Alexa could be a mine of valuable information for ad creators and marketing researchers.
This is not the first time in history that children are targeted (do you remember Joe Camel?), But that would be one of the least ethical. After all, if a child does not fully understand the consequences of data privacy, how can he make an informed decision to participate in a service that listens to him?
At Komando.com, we recommend that you let the Echo Dot Kids Edition go by until the FTC Complaint is resolved. We do not yet know all the consequences and it is better to protect your children than to let them become guinea pigs for marketing professionals.
In addition, I think that any adult would be tired of seeing toy and video game ads on all online banners.
Alexa's employees can see where you live
Recently, we explained how Amazon employees manually review the content of interactions with Alexa, as well as some of the troubling details they have access to. Although history continues to unfold, we have learned more about the amount of data that these hidden employees hold. In fact, Alexa stores location data about its users and Amazon employees have access to one of the most sensitive information you have: your home address.
Tap or click to see what Amazon still knows.
[ad_2]
Source link