Expert warns against Amazon's Alexa, wants people to 'set limits'

A privacy expert has warned against the boundaries which shall be set with Amazon's AI, Alexa. Doctor Hannah Fry, who is also the first mathematician to deliver a Christmas lecture at the Royal Institution has voiced her opinion against placing the smart device or the Amazon Echo in personal proximity. Even though the device is meant to listen to the person's voice in order to deliver the instructed task, it has been speculated for ages that Amazon might be eavesdropping on people's home through its devices. 

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According to Fry, there are some places in a person's home like the bedroom and bathroom, which should be left completely private. The high-tech devices are 'triggered' with words such as 'Alexa' and they keep recording for short periods afterwards. Fry said that even though most people have accepted the situation the way it is, she wants the people to understand what it means for them and their privacy. Some whistle-blowers have previously also suggested that Amazon might be tapping into conversations across Britain in order to check if the devices were working properly. It was during the same time, when Amazon-workers reportedly heard a woman singing to herself in the shower, along with someone reading out their confidential bank details. 

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Amazon denies speculations

Amazon has crossed off all speculations against Alexa hearing personal conversations among people but reportedly revealed that some workers in Costa Rica, Romania, and India who have been listening to nearly 1,000 audio clips each day. Fry also said that the people who are senior in a company, who avoid having so much as a smartphone in their bedroom. Fry even urged people to think 'carefully' about a device which is providing the facility to listen to your voice at a very low price. The 43-year-old wants everyone to 'set their own limits' and turn off the devices at regular intervals. However, Amazon says that it has stringent security measures as well as a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to abuse of its system. The company also says employees do not have direct access to information that can identify the person or account as part of this workflow. 

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