Amazon’s latest innovation, Alexa Plus, promises to revolutionize the way we interact with voice assistants. With enhanced voice recognition capabilities powered by generative AI, Alexa Plus is designed to provide a more personalized and efficient user experience. However, this advancement comes with significant changes to how user data is handled, raising privacy concerns among consumers.
Starting March 28, 2025, all voice commands given to Alexa devices will be processed and stored in Amazon’s secure cloud.
This change eliminates the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” setting, which previously allowed users to opt out of cloud storage. While Amazon assures users that recordings will be deleted after processing by default, those who wish to use features like Voice ID—a tool that personalizes responses based on the speaker’s voice—must allow their recordings to be stored temporarily.
For users concerned about privacy, the “Don’t Save Recordings” setting remains an option. However, even with this setting enabled, voice commands will still be processed in the cloud before being deleted.
This shift has sparked debates about the balance between technological innovation and user privacy.
Amazon’s decision to mandate cloud processing for Alexa Plus comes in the wake of a $25 million fine imposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2023. The lawsuit revealed that Amazon had stored children’s voice recordings indefinitely without proper disclosure, violating privacy laws.
This incident, along with reports of Amazon employees listening to user recordings to improve Alexa’s performance, has left many users wary of the company’s data practices.
While Alexa Plus offers exciting new features, such as improved voice recognition and personalized interactions, it also highlights the ongoing tension between convenience and privacy. As consumers, it’s crucial to stay informed about how our data is used and to advocate for transparency and control over our personal information.
Personally, I have several Alexa devices including an Amazon Fire tablet that I worry is overhearing conversations, I have also noticed my Echo Show bringing up topics or recommendations that I have had conversations about such as recipes I’ve discussed making.
It makes me incredibly anxious for my privacy in my own home. In my opinion I am unsure how I feel about Alexa Plus. I enjoy the convenience of Alexa but I do have a lot of hesitation now with my Alexa due to privacy concerns.
Do you think the benefits of Alexa Plus outweigh the privacy concerns?
