On: Amazon device recorded private conversation, sent it out to random contact

[confounded]

> I'm just wondering why you draw the line at "Alex/Google/Apple assistant device"

There’s a big difference between:

- Devices which are by design always actively listening and sending real-time audio to computers you can’t control or even really trust, with unknown security properties, and consumer-appliance security life-cycles/support

- Devices that can be configured to do that, but which you have some control over (phones, laptops, etc.) and generally won’t, without some form of consent (even if via a dark pattern, e.g. LinkedIn on Android).

[floatingatoll → confounded]

There’s a third distinction that separates devices:

- Devices that have the ability to perform unsafe behaviors such as “record a conversation and share it to someone else”.

Is it possible to ask a HomePod to transmit an audio recording of a conversation?

[givinguflac → confounded]

To be fair, Apple’s homepod doesn’t send any data until it’s activated with the wake word. Amazon and google products send a ton of data back constantly.

[wilsonnb → givinguflac]

Where have you read that Amazon and Google send a ton of data back? I've heard that none of these devices send anything back until they're activated by a specific phrase.

[givinguflac → wilsonnb]

I've seen and blocked it on my own network.

[ryanlol → confounded]

>Devices which are by design always actively listening and sending real-time audio to computers you can’t control

Oh, what devices are these?

>Devices that can be configured to do that, but which you have some control over ... and generally won’t, without some form of consent

Ah, so you mean like "Alex/Google/Apple assistant devices"?