As if it already wasn't?
I have not done this verification myself. I assume that every device and every piece of software is collecting data on me. I take some steps to reduce it (uBlock Origin in my browser, PiHole on my phone, don't use a fucking Amazon Echo), but I've just come to accept that companies don't give a shit about privacy and will get to know as much as they can about me so they can try to sell me things.
This headline is one of those things where if you're caught off-guard and are surprised, you're terrifyingly naive. Be upset, sure, but don't be surprised.
Some years ago there were some news about some employees who were actually "executing" the comands spoken to Alexa.
> Amazon is switching on local voice recognition processing, promising users of some of its latest Echo smart speakers and smart displays that they can have their Alexa commands avoid the cloud completely... taps into the retail giant's homegrown AZ1 Neural Edge chipset.. followed Google, Apple, and others in creating its own custom silicon. While the AZ1 may not have been able to power the whole Alexa experience, it was focused instead on specific voice recognition features.
(Echo 4 is one of the few Zigbee hub options with US firmware)
If Echo Zigbee devices will effectively be bricked from their current offline purpose and use cases, it could motivate attempts to re-purpose the hardware. Has nothing been learned from the recent Sonos debacle?