Amazon Disables Key Alexa Privacy Features, Raising Concerns Among Users

A Privacy Ultimatum Starts Today: Let Amazon Echo Process Your Data or Stop Using It

Expertise Smart home | Smart security | Home tech | Energy savings | A/V Starting today, Echo smart speaker and Echo Show display user won't be able to block their devices from sending all voice recordings to Amazon for analysis. The retail juggernaut's disturbing change in its privacy policies is creating a privacy ultimatum -- essentially making Amazon Echo users choose between their privacy and using these devices at all. Keeping voice recordings local is an important privacy feature for any voice assistant, and removing it raises serious questions about what Amazon is listening to. And even if you didn't know about these privacy settings before, I bet you're worried about voice assistant privacy in general: Our CNET Survey found over 70% of people have privacy concerns about adding more AI to home voice assistants -- and now we're seeing those fears in action. Ars Technica reported earlier in March that an email was sent to customers. The email advised users that you'll be automatically switched to a "Don't save recordings" setting if you don't change it before today -- Mar. 28th. The company says voice recordings will be processed it the cloud but then deleted after. From what we've learned, this change is in preparation for Amazon's launch of its huge AI upgrade to Alexa called Alexa Plus. Based on what Amazon has said, no Echo owner will have a choice with this new setting change, even if you don't intend to use Alexa Plus. I'll cover basic questions about what Amazon is doing here and what you could do about it. Read more: Home Security Questions You Can Ask Alexa and Siri Amazon's news concerns two specific Alexa privacy options: "Do not send voice recordings" and "Do not save voice recordings," which can be found deep in the Alexa app and Echo device settings. Starting today, Amazon will be removing the "Do not send voice recordings" option, which means all recorded voice commands will be automatically sent to Amazon for processing and analysis. The company is also changing how the "Do not save voice recordings" option works, limiting Alexa features if you don't want to save recordings locally. Everything Alexa records when it hears its wake word will automatically be sent to the Amazon cloud for processing. Amazon's message to owners indicated that it will be using this data to train Alexa Plus to hold better conversations and understand people more accurately -- which has always been a primary reason companies want this kind of voice data. Now Amazon isn't giving people a choice. The next question is "Does that mean a real human employee will be listening to my voice recordings?" That's harder to answer. This type of processing probably doesn't require human ears to listen to recordings. However, in 2019, Amazon was discovered ordering employees to listen and manually annotate parts of Alexa voice recordings, so the company doesn't have a great track record here. Doing this sort of labeling "by hand" isn't really efficient, and employees reported hearing everything from bad singing to possible sexual assaults. Still, Amazon did not indicate at the time it would be making any changes to its processing. Only the "Do not send voice recordings" and "Do not save voice recordings" options appear to have been changed. Other Alexa privacy settings, such as Alexa Skill permissions, were not mentioned, so they should still be intact after the deadline. It's mostly about Alexa Plus, Amazon's conversational AI upgrade ($20 per month, free for Prime users) coming this spring. Amazon really, really needs Alexa Plus to bring in more revenue and, hopefully, new customers, so the company is pulling out all the stops to prepare for its spring release. One of those stops was these privacy settings. In its notification, Amazon simply said, "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." In other words, the more voice data available, the more Alexa Plus can learn, and Amazon is giving it access to all voice data possible. Amazon reports that it encrypts voice data "in transit" to Amazon's cloud. Once there, it is most likely decrypted for analysis. Based on what Amazon has said, no Echo owner will have a choice, even if you don't intend to use Alexa Plus. Your voice recordings get sent to the company either way. This probably means that other services like Live Translations and Adaptive Listening will be automatically enabled, whereas before using this privacy setting disabled such features. You will still have access to the privacy setting "Do not save voice recordings." However, Amazon has made it clear that turning this setting on means Voice ID settings will not work. Voice ID is Alexa's ability to recognize different voices in a household and give personalized answers based on their profiles and added devices. Voice ID is becoming even more important with Alexa Plus, so Amazon wants to encourage people to use this feature as much as possible. But voice recognition features can't work if you don't save recordings. Amazon Web Services has experienced cloud data breaches and vulnerabilities in the past, but these were usually caused by problems created by third-party users like Capital One, Pegasus Airlines and others. Breaches into Amazon's directly controlled customer cloud data are largely unheard of. There's a more direct risk when it comes to your Echo voice data. In 2023, Amazon paid a penalty of $25 million for breaking a children's privacy law by keeping children's voice recordings permanently instead of getting rid of them as required. Echo users should be most wary of this kind of misuse of data. We've found nothing so far, although we'll test out the new features when they arrive. Non-English speakers didn't have the same privacy settings available in the first place, and they're not likely to see notable changes.

Amazon Alexa Just Changed Its Privacy Settings. CNET Survey Reveals 73% of Device Users Were Already Worried

Expertise Smart home | Smart security | Home tech | Energy savings | A/V Amazon's big 2025 Alexa announcement has hit and we were there to cover the demos and new features. The new AI upgrade is aimed to make Alexa more conversational and tackle more complex commands. But not everyone is jumping for joy. In preparation for Alexa Plus, a new privacy setting change is making waves. Starting Mar.28th, Alexa Echo users won't be able to block their devices from sending all voice recordings to Amazon for analysis. Just before this privacy change, over 2,000 US adults were surveyed for CNET on how they feel about voice assistants in devices like Amazon Echo. It revealed consumers already have trust issues with smart smart home devices -- more than 70% saying they have privacy concerns with AI integration. It is yet to be seen how Amazon's Alexa Plus will handle consumer resistance to AI and smart homes and how will it compare with Apple's expected leap into the smart home world later this year. We will be sure to report back as we learn more. Here's what our data is saying on the subject. Overall, people aren't sure what to make of more AI. When we asked people if they'd use a voice assistant more often with new AI features, the highest response was "meh," with 34% neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the idea. Only 34% of active users reported interest in using voice assistants more if they got intelligence upgrades. In good news for Amazon, voice assistant users also trusted Alexa and Amazon the most when it came to AI (27%) followed by Apple Siri (24%) and Google Assistant (23%) juggling for second place. But 50% of respondents said they didn't trust home voice assistants at all, and a combined 73% were concerned with privacy risks when using AI features. Yet, this survey took place before the recent privacy setting change removing user ability to stop recording from reaching Amazon transcription analysis. Those are tough hurdles for Amazon to jump, especially when the company is only offering Alexa Plus free for Amazon Prime subscribers while charging others $20. Our survey showed only 23% of adults said they'd pay a fee for more AI features in voice assistants. In comparison, 56% said they would not pay anything extra. That doesn't bode well if Amazon is planning on a big jump over to Alexa Plus. When Alexa Plus rolls out, we'll be there to see how well it works and how Amazon is differentiating Alexa's AI upgrades with what Google has shown with Gemini and what Apple plans with Siri. We suspected Amazon wanted to use this new Alexa to bring in more revenue and boost Amazon Prime subscriptions, and it looks like that's exactly what they are aiming for. However, we're interested to see how this affects smart home integrations and if Alexa Plus really is bringing something new to the table. Amazon will start Alexa's March revival ahead in the numbers, but not by much. Around half of US adults have used a home voice assistant since Jan. 1, and Alexa ranked at the top with 27% reporting they activated the voice assistant. Apple's Siri wasn't far behind at 21%, with Google Assistant/Gemini in third at $18%. Note that Amazon reported at its event that its own data showed people were using Alexa 20% more in 2024 compared with 2023. Those numbers reverse a bit when looking only at Gen Z adults. While millennials and Gen X prefer Alexa, Gen Z (at 27%) has a slight preference for Apple's speedy Siri, which is also set for AI upgrades this spring. That indicates Alexa may have some catch-up work to do if it wants to appeal to a younger crowd: Will these generative AI features, aimed largely at homeowners and Amazon Prime havers, be of any interest to Gen Z? But when was the last time you used a voice assistant for something complex in the first place? If you're like our surveyed users, you probably stick to simple tasks: The most common activity for US adults was asking a quick question, followed by playing music or entertainment and setting timers and reminders. Using smart home commands was farther down the list, with only 23% of people saying they had ever controlled a smart home with voice assistants. That is something Amazon wants to change with these announced update. Much like Google's Gemini reveal, Alexa Plus is focusing on more complex use cases, encouraging Alexa users to hold longer conversations, complete more complex tasks, choose entertainment organically -- and buy their loved ones more stuff . That brings up an issue on privacy our survey found. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,376 adults, of which 1,308 have used a home voice assistant since Jan. 1, 2025. Fieldwork was undertaken Feb. 18-20, 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18-plus).

Everything you say to an Alexa speaker will be sent to Amazon - starting today

Amazon has disabled two key privacy features in its Alexa smart speakers, in a push to introduce artificial intelligence-powered "agentic capabilities" and turn a profit from the popular devices. Starting today (March 28), Alexa devices will send all audio recordings to the cloud for processing, and choosing not to save these recordings will disable personalisation features. How do voice assistants work? A voice assistant works by constantly listening for a "wake word", such as "Alexa". Once woken, it records the command that is spoken and matches it to an action, such as playing a music track. Matching a spoken command to an action requires what computer scientists call natural language understanding, which can take a lot of computer power. Matching commands to actions can be done locally (on the device itself), or sound recordings can be uploaded to the cloud for processing. On-device processing has improved substantially in recent years, but is still less accurate than using the cloud, where more computer power is available. Amazon is making two changes today Alexa devices send recordings to the cloud by default. However, some high-end Echo models previously supported a setting called "Do not send voice recordings". If this setting was enabled, all recordings were processed locally. In practice, only a tiny fraction of Echo users (around 0.03% had this turned on. In the first change, this setting is being disabled, and all recordings will be sent to the cloud. Once in the cloud, recordings can be deleted or saved. Saved recordings are used for Amazon's Voice ID feature, which distinguishes between speakers in the same household and aims to provide a personalised experience. Alexa users also have a setting called "Don't save recordings", which, if enabled, deletes cloud recordings once they're processed. In the second change, if the "Don't save recordings" setting is enabled, Voice ID will stop working, and with it, access to personalised features such as user-specific calendar events. This two-step change means Alexa users need to make a trade-off between privacy and functionality. Alexa loses a lot of money Put simply, Amazon needs Echo devices to start making money. As US voice assistant expert Joseph Turow has detailed, Amazon began selling Echo devices very cheaply as a "loss leader". Amazon says it has sold more than 500 million Alexa devices, but between 2017 and 2021 alone the company lost more than US$25 billion on the project. Amazon is looking to generative AI to turn the business around, with a US$8 billion investment in OpenAI competitor Anthropic. In February, Amazon launched a new AI-powered Alexa+ system. It promises more natural interaction and the ability to carry out tasks such as booking flights. Alexa+ is currently only available in the United States. "Agentic capabilities" such as booking flights require detailed profile information about the user on whose behalf they are acting. This would include details such as preferred products or services. Voice ID and data from spoken commands assist Amazon in tying preferences to a particular person. An AI-powered intermediary How will Alexa+ help Amazon make money? The first way is via direct subscription fees: the service will eventually only be available to Amazon Prime members or people who pay US$19.99 per month. But what may prove more important is that it will help Amazon to position itself as an intermediary between buyers and sellers. This is what Amazon already does with its existing e-commerce platform. It's easy to see the system in action when you search for a product on Amazon's website. Alongside items sold directly by Amazon, you are presented with products from multiple sellers, each of whom pays Amazon to be listed. Everybody pays the platform Agentic capabilities are likely to have a similar business model. Service providers - such as airlines or restaurant reservation companies - would pay Amazon when Alexa+ refers customers to them. Amazon's move is part of a broader phenomenon termed "platform capitalism". This takes in the crowdsourced content of social media platforms, "sharing economy" businesses such as AirBnb, and the automated gig work of the likes of Uber. Platform capitalism has delivered benefits for consumers, but in general the greatest benefits flow to those who own the platforms and design their infrastructure, services and constraints. How to protect your privacy After receiving a US$25 million fine from the US Federal Trade Commission for retaining childrens' voice recordings in contravention of US laws, Amazon has overhauled Alexa's privacy settings. The settings can be viewed and changed from the Alexa app on your smartphone, under "More > Alexa Privacy". Alexa users may wish to review the settings in "Manage your Alexa Data" to choose how long recordings are saved for and which voice recordings to delete. Recordings may also be deleted using a voice command. As Alexa+ becomes available more widely, users will need to decide whether they are comfortable sharing data about their preferences with Amazon to enable agentic capabilities. What are the alternatives? For users who are uncomfortable with the privacy settings now available with Alexa, a private voice assistant may prove a better choice. The Home Assistant Voice Preview is one example. It gives people the option to have voice recordings processed on-device, but offers less functionality than Alexa and can't work with as many other services. It's also not very user-friendly, being aimed more at technical tinkerers. Users may face a trade-off between privacy and functionality, both within Alexa itself and when considering alternatives. They may also find themselves grappling with their own place in the increasingly inescapable systems of platform capitalism.

Everything you say to an Alexa speaker will be sent to Amazon

Amazon has disabled key privacy features in Alexa devices, now sending all voice recordings to the cloud by default. Users must choose between privacy and personalised features, as Alexa+ introduces AI-powered capabilities. This shift aims to turn Alexa into a profitable platform, leveraging user data for targeted services.Amazon has disabled two key privacy features in its Alexa smart speakers, in a push to introduce artificial intelligence-powered "agentic capabilities" and turn a profit from the popular devices. Starting today (March 28), Alexa devices will send all audio recordings to the cloud for processing, and choosing not to save these recordings will disable personalisation features. How do voice assistants work? A voice assistant works by constantly listening for a "wake word", such as "Alexa". Once woken, it records the command that is spoken and matches it to an action, such as playing a music track. Matching a spoken command to an action requires what computer scientists call natural language understanding, which can take a lot of computer power. Matching commands to actions can be done locally (on the device itself), or sound recordings can be uploaded to the cloud for processing. On-device processing has improved substantially in recent years, but is still less accurate than using the cloud, where more computer power is available. Amazon is making two changes today Alexa devices send recordings to the cloud by default. However, some high-end Echo models previously supported a setting called "Do not send voice recordings". If this setting was enabled, all recordings were processed locally. In practice, only a tiny fraction of Echo users (around 0.03% had this turned on. In the first change, this setting is being disabled, and all recordings will be sent to the cloud. Once in the cloud, recordings can be deleted or saved. Saved recordings are used for Amazon's Voice ID feature, which distinguishes between speakers in the same household and aims to provide a personalised experience. Alexa users also have a setting called "Don't save recordings", which, if enabled, deletes cloud recordings once they're processed. In the second change, if the "Don't save recordings" setting is enabled, Voice ID will stop working, and with it, access to personalised features such as user-specific calendar events. This two-step change means Alexa users need to make a trade-off between privacy and functionality. Alexa loses a lot of money Put simply, Amazon needs Echo devices to start making money. As US voice assistant expert Joseph Turow has detailed, Amazon began selling Echo devices very cheaply as a "loss leader". Amazon says it has sold more than 500 million Alexa devices, but between 2017 and 2021 alone the company lost more than US$25 billion on the project. Amazon is looking to generative AI to turn the business around, with a US$8 billion investment in OpenAI competitor Anthropic. In February, Amazon launched a new AI-powered Alexa+ system. It promises more natural interaction and the ability to carry out tasks such as booking flights. Alexa+ is currently only available in the United States. "Agentic capabilities" such as booking flights require detailed profile information about the user on whose behalf they are acting. This would include details such as preferred products or services. Voice ID and data from spoken commands assist Amazon in tying preferences to a particular person. An AI-powered intermediary How will Alexa+ help Amazon make money? The first way is via direct subscription fees: the service will eventually only be available to Amazon Prime members or people who pay US$19.99 per month. But what may prove more important is that it will help Amazon to position itself as an intermediary between buyers and sellers. This is what Amazon already does with its existing e-commerce platform. It's easy to see the system in action when you search for a product on Amazon's website. Alongside items sold directly by Amazon, you are presented with products from multiple sellers, each of whom pays Amazon to be listed. Everybody pays the platform Agentic capabilities are likely to have a similar business model. Service providers - such as airlines or restaurant reservation companies - would pay Amazon when Alexa+ refers customers to them. Amazon's move is part of a broader phenomenon termed "platform capitalism". This takes in the crowdsourced content of social media platforms, "sharing economy" businesses such as AirBnb, and the automated gig work of the likes of Uber. Platform capitalism has delivered benefits for consumers, but in general the greatest benefits flow to those who own the platforms and design their infrastructure, services and constraints. How to protect your privacy After receiving a US$25 million fine from the US Federal Trade Commission for retaining childrens' voice recordings in contravention of US laws, Amazon has overhauled Alexa's privacy settings. The settings can be viewed and changed from the Alexa app on your smartphone, under "More > Alexa Privacy". Alexa users may wish to review the settings in "Manage your Alexa Data" to choose how long recordings are saved for and which voice recordings to delete. Recordings may also be deleted using a voice command. As Alexa+ becomes available more widely, users will need to decide whether they are comfortable sharing data about their preferences with Amazon to enable agentic capabilities. What are the alternatives? For users who are uncomfortable with the privacy settings now available with Alexa, a private voice assistant may prove a better choice. The Home Assistant Voice Preview is one example. It gives people the option to have voice recordings processed on-device, but offers less functionality than Alexa and can't work with as many other services. It's also not very user-friendly, being aimed more at technical tinkerers. Users may face a trade-off between privacy and functionality, both within Alexa itself and when considering alternatives. They may also find themselves grappling with their own place in the increasingly inescapable systems of platform capitalism.