Connect with us

Regaining Your Privacy From Alexa

Credit: Amazon

There’s a fine line between “convenient” and “creepy.”

People have always been leery of how much Alexa is listening to conversations and what she eventually does with that knowledge. Reports that Alexa is listening more than we know and our conversations are being reviewed by humans have people more concerned than ever over their privacy.

Because of recent backlash, Amazon has changed their settings so people can ensure that they are not being recorded by Alexa. The main purpose behind the recordings was to see how well Alexa was responding to people’s commands; Amazon wanted to help companies improve how strongly their artificial intelligence understands our language.

Even though only a very small percentage of conversations are actually reviewed by humans, Google and Apple have both suspended their ability to record a human conversation. Amazon has not suspended their ability as of yet, but they have implemented a way for humans to opt-out of voice recordings.

To restrict Alexa voice recordings, you will need to follow the following steps:

  • Open the Alexa app on your IOS or Android device (make sure it has the most recent update)
  • Go to the Menu
  • Select “Settings”
  • Select “Alexa Privacy”
  • Tap on “Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa”
  • Select OFF next to “Help Improve Amazon Services and Develop New Features.”
  • To delete any existing Alexa recordings, go to the privacy screen and select “Review Voice History.” There is also a feature where you can talk to Alexa directly and ask her to delete things that you have said.

    Connect