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John Borthwick (above) estimates that the convenience of today's smart assistants is much more than the cost paid for devices. "It's hard to call it anything other than surveillance," says Time Warner's former director.
Technology investor John Borthwick thinks that the convenience of today's smart wizards from Amazon, Google and Apple has a price well above the cost paid for the devices.
"From the consumer's point of view, from the user's point of view, these devices are used for what is difficult to call other than surveillance," said Borthwick, warning that government regulation could be the only safeguard of the privacy of the user.
Borthwick, a venture capitalist who debuted in the technology industry with a Web content studio bought by AOL, and who then led Time Warner's technical strategy, told Yahoo that he It was expected that regulators would entrust more control of confidentiality to device users.
At present, it warns technology companies that manufacture and sell popular smart speakers, such as Apple's Echo of Amazon, Google Assistant and HomePod, record far more than their audible responses.
Borthwick warns technology companies that manufacture and sell popular smart speakers, such as Amazon's Echo (right), Google Assistant (center) and Apple's HomePod (left), record well more than their audible responses
"They went to see these devices and they said:" Give us data when people passively act on the device. " In other words, I'm approaching this switch, "said Borthwick. "I turn them off, I turn them on, they now render the data to the smart speaker.
Technology companies offer activation or "wake up" control with most devices.
Echo from Amazon, for example, will not respond until he has heard a user say "Alexa", followed by a command. A similar wizard is followed with Google Assistant and when a user of the Apple product needs Siri's help.
Borthwick, however, emphasizes the link between speakers and other products, where monitoring is less obvious.
"These smart speakers – I've been particularly disturbed by– that sounds very weird, but the– the smart speakers are driven by some involvement," he told Yahoo.
& # 39; You invoke it. And you say, "Hey, a smart cup of coffee," he says, snapping at a cup.
"I would like you to tell me what is the temperature of my coffee" or "What's the weather like today?" You are invoking an application.
"So, all those smart appliances in the house that are connected to that … So, the light bulb out there, that you get to tell your smart speaker," turn on that light, "he continued, explaining how data is collected, using a more passive approach.
"I think we sort of stumbled on a line, that a lot of people now call surveillance and I think it's – it's – it's wrong," did he declares.
The technology investor warns that the United States has an attitude of "let go" vis-à-vis devices and encourages self-regulation.
"Today, I would say it's as if the tech companies were saying," We've understood it, do not worry, it's good, "he said. declared.
In contrast, there is the "authoritarian Chinese model", in which the state itself monitors with the help of "cameras in China".
The European Union and its general regulation on data protection fall somewhere in between.
Adopted in 2018, the regulation aims to give individuals control of their data while simplifying the regulatory environment of companies with a uniform rule for the entire union.
Borthwick said it was certain that similar regulations would be applied to states at local, regional and federal levels.
"In general, I think the goal is to give users a lot more power over decisions made," he said. "I think it's a piece of it.
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