Amazon Echo devices will soon remove the local processing feature for voice commands, leading to all interactions being sent to the cloud starting March 28, 2025. This controversial move has drawn criticism from digital rights expert Cory Doctorow, who labels it 'absolutely unforgivable' due to the potential for snooping by Amazon workers on user recordings. The decision aligns with the release of a more advanced version of Alexa powered by generative AI, which requires cloud processing. Privacy issues have plagued Amazon, with previous admissions of staff accessing user recordings. Users are being informed via email about this significant change.
Cory Doctorow described Amazon's decision to move voice processing to the cloud as 'absolutely unforgivable,' highlighting the privacy concerns that arise from this change.
Amazon admitted in 2019 that conversations with Alexa could be listened to and transcribed by staff, emphasizing ongoing privacy issues for Echo users.
The upcoming release of Alexa+ requires more processing power from Amazon's secure cloud, coinciding with the removal of the 'Do Not Send Voice Recordings' option.
Doctorow expressed distrust in Amazon's claims regarding data deletion, pointing to past instances where employees reviewed millions of recordings for analysis.
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