This is "free" as in Amazon is free to record your calls and messages and use them either as training data for AI or targeting data for advertising.
Alexa Calling will compete with FaceTime, Google Duo, and Skype (amongst others). Do you feel the same way about those other services or is your concern specifically related to the Echo platform?
Google / Skype are both assumed to be MitM'd; Microsoft in fact purposely re-did things to centralize Skype. If I recall correctly, Google Voice was pretty clearly used for training data.
Why are you using gut feeling to make decisions when you clearly have an internet connection right now and can confirm or deny your hypothesis instantly?
I'm not using gut feeling to make decisions; I am sharing information with an appropriate "grain of salt" disclaimer attached.
>> I don't have time right now to look into this in detail
Repeated in case you missed it.
But since you took the time to call me out (thanks?), I will Google it for you:
https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/law-enforcement-guidelin... (September 29, 2015)
FaceTime communications are end-to-end encrypted and Apple has no way to decrypt FaceTime data when it is in transit between devices. Apple cannot intercept FaceTime communications. Apple has FaceTime call invitation logs when a FaceTime call invitation is initiated. These logs do not indicate that any communication between users actually took place. Apple has no information as to whether the FaceTime call was successfully established or duration of a FaceTime call. FaceTime call invitation logs are retained up to 30 days. FaceTime call invitation logs can be obtained with an order under 18 U.S.C. §2703(d) or court order meeting the equivalent legal standard or search warrant.
I don't trust anyone (even Apple) to have an always-on listening device in my house. Too many shades of 1984. If need be, I'll push a button on my phone/bt headset and query.
I was thinking about this today, and figured this is the epitome of a dystopian society. We've readily given up our freedoms and privacy in lieu of technology that is able to gather data on us and shared with entities we probably don't approve of, blinded by the "cool" things this technology can do.
Every time I see something like this I get nauseated because people are willing to hand over all their personal data for some shiny new technology that really doesn't do anything really amazing at all. I must be getting old, because it felt like not too long ago, technology was developed to help humans, not to gather data on them and subvert their privacy and treat them like dollar signs.
It isn't clear to me if you are directing that towards my comment, or if you meant it as a general criticism. My question was intended to understand more about the concerns that the previous comment raised and if they were only critical of Amazon's implementation or if they were more broadly concerned with privacy wrt all communication tools of this type. It was not to advocate for a "who cares, it's not important" position by any means.
No. The same Faustian bargain applies to these other services as well. I just think it's worth pointing out that this is not free. You're paying with your data.
I should also point out that the situation has evolved. Back when Skype was new, it was clear they were providing a service in exchange for ad revenue, but not so clear how much conversation data they were retaining if any. As the ad economy evolved perpetual [meta]data retention has become the norm - effectively increasing the cost of using these services.
Do you have a facebook account? LinkedIn? Gmail? All of your points apply there as well.
How is this controversial?
Alexa Calling and Messaging Schedule
... the ability to send and receive messages and calls with other users (collectively, "Alexa Calling and Messaging") ...
1.1 General. Your messages, communications requests (e.g., "Alexa, call Mom"), and related interactions are "Alexa Interactions," ... Amazon processes and retains your Alexa Interactions and related information in the cloud in order to ... improve our services.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=...
1.3 Alexa Interactions. You control Alexa with your voice. Alexa streams audio to the cloud when you interact with Alexa. Alexa processes and retains your Alexa Interactions, such as your voice inputs, music playlists and your Alexa to-do and shopping lists, in the cloud to provide and improve our services. Learn more about these voice services including how to delete voice recordings associated with your account.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=...
I personally take "improve" in this context to mean: iteratively analyze and change our services to maximize profits
It's not very clear, though, and I feel like they could have made this clear very easily.
(I do expect Amazon to store the voiceprints of "Alexa, do foo" to improve their speech-to-text, as well as analyze the actual requests, yes, but I would hope that Amazon is not analyzing or storing the contents of calls.)
Then again, you could read it that way. And Amazon might. This needs clarification.