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From a privacy standpoint, that voice history may be a concern (and we’ll address that in a bit), but it’s a heck of a lot of better than an entire audio log of everything you’ve ever said in your own home. Simply put, neither the Echo nor Google Home have the capability to record or listen to everything you say out of the box.
Of course, that just deals with their intended purpose.
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Then there’s the issue of remote hacks. Sure, the FBI probably has more sophisticated techniques than the average hacker, but there’s no guarantee that an Echo would be the easiest way to snoop on you. Most of us have multiple laptops, smartphones, and other gadgets in our homes with cameras and microphones in them. A laptop running Windows (or even macOS) is generally easier to hack into and record audio, because it’s a much more complex platform and has more possible attack vectors. If you’ve had a computer-connected microphone in your home for years—like the one on your webcam, which can definitely be hacked—there’s no reason an Echo should instill a special level of fear over everything else you own.
As with most privacy issues, it comes down to your own risk assessment. If you’re paranoid about governments, hackers, or corporations listening in on you, the safest solution is always to remove any cameras or microphones from your home. All of us strike some balance between privacy and convenience, but when it comes to always-on voice assistants, they’re not much riskier than most of the other gadgets you have sitting around your house.
Image Credit: Matt Wade on Flickr
