Amazon Echo users will soon experience a significant privacy shift, as Amazon requires all voice recordings to be processed on the cloud.
Starting March 28, the option to process Alexa requests locally will be removed, meaning all interactions will be transmitted to Amazon's servers.
Amazon recently emailed its users to inform them that the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" feature will be discontinued. The company justified its decision by pointing to the expansion of Alexa's generative AI capabilities, which require cloud processing. "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" the email read.
The changes don't stop here. Users who choose the "Don't Save Recordings" setting will also lose access to Voice ID, a feature that allows Alexa to personalize responses according to individual users. Users should allow Amazon to store their voice recordings to keep their voice IDs, forcing them to choose between privacy and convenience.
This means that after March 28, anything you say to an Echo device will be saved in Amazon's cloud, and opting out will result in the loss of previously available functionality. Amazon states that voice requests are encrypted in transit to its secure cloud, which has numerous layers of security. However, privacy advocates argue that once recordings reach Amazon's servers, they are accessible to employees and could be used for undisclosed purposes.
The news of the shift has sparked outrage, with many people taking to online forums like Reddit to express their frustration. This update follows Amazon's recent announcement of Alexa+, a subscription-based AI-enhanced assistant that is expected to launch this year. While Alexa+ promises more seamless and intelligent interactions, privacy and data security concerns remain a top priority.
Given Amazon's past, which includes a $25 million settlement with the FTC in 2024 for children's privacy abuses, many are concerned about the implications of these policy shifts. As the deadline approaches, users must decide whether to accept Amazon's new terms or entirely reconsider using Alexa devices.