topic Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today in Privacy

Alexa, delete everything I said today

AppDefects — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 09:13:09 GMT

Privacy settings for a digital assistant? What a novel idea! Starting today there are new privacy controls over what Alexa can hear. You can even manage "your" voice recordings from the app.

Ps. this is in no means a product endorsement.

Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

rslade — Thu, 30 May 2019 19:34:47 GMT

OK, I really like your postscript 🙂

Question: when you ask Alexa to delete everything you said, does it really?

Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

AppDefects — Thu, 30 May 2019 20:01:07 GMT

@rslade wrote:
OK, I really like your postscript 🙂

Question: when you ask Alexa to delete everything you said, does it really?

Ah, the Right to Be Forgotten and the promise of GDPR. Imagine the engineering that has to go into scrubbing data that is replicated across global data centers. Maybe over time those digital remnants would disappear without a trace, but it does continue to snow in Nunavut (a territory in Canada)...

Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

denbesten — Thu, 30 May 2019 20:19:57 GMT

That made the US national news last night. The anchor even jokingly apologized for erasing everyone's data since the story included the complete phrase, including the wake word.

Made me wonder if anyone else thought about the implications of the anchor saying "Alexa, buy Ben Malisow's book", or "Alexa, cast my vote for George Washington for president".

Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

dcontesti — Fri, 31 May 2019 00:21:16 GMT

@AppDefects wrote:

Ps. this is in no means a product endorsement.

My son bought me one of these products and the silly thing talks every time someone on the television says it's name.....scared me and wondered why I was getting directions to the local Walmart LOL......

Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

Steve-Wilme — Fri, 31 May 2019 11:03:36 GMT

Ours responds when we ask the dog if it wants to go walkies? Since when did Walkies sound like Alexa!

Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

Chuxing — Fri, 31 May 2019 13:41:53 GMT

For someone knowing information security for too looooong, I have developed a paranoia syndrome. So I want as few of those 'smart' things in my home as possible! (For one thing, they make me feel old and dumb)

I have this voice in my head frequently (told you I have paranoia disorder) that we are using a lot technologies without knowing half the pictures of what the full consequences are.

Alexa, stop listen to me, and wipe that grin off your face ... I know you are watching me all the time....

Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

rslade — Fri, 31 May 2019 18:20:11 GMT

@dcontesti wrote:
My son bought me one of these products and the silly thing talks every time someone on the television says it's name.....scared me and wondered why I was getting directions to the local Walmart LOL......

Number One Daughter has one. It was a bit odd to hear her suddenly saying "[name of home assistant], I need toilet paper," and the system would respond, "OK, I'll add that to your shopping list."

This is why it's not safe to have me on teams designing/building consumer products. If I had been working on a home assistant, when you said, "I need toilet paper," the system would randomly respond with, "what are you telling me for?"

Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

rslade — Fri, 31 May 2019 18:23:20 GMT

> Steve-Wilme (Contributor I) posted a new reply in GDPR on 05-31-2019 07:03 AM in

> Ours responds when we ask the dog if it wants to go walkies? Since when did
> Walkies sound like Alexa!

And since when does Alexa want to go walkies ... ?

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Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

rslade — Fri, 31 May 2019 18:40:20 GMT

> Chuxing (Community Champion) posted a new reply in GDPR on 05-31-2019 09:41 AM

> I want as few of those 'smart' things in my home as
> possible!

We have only three "smart" things in the house. Our two phones, and the TV.
(The kids gave us the TV. I'm afraid I was less than gracious about it.) We never
have told the TV the password for the wifi. (I'm also fairly sure that it's cheap
enough that it doesn't have a camera or microphone.)

> (For one thing, they make me feel old and dumb)

As I have frequently said, I hate machines that think they are smarter than I am.
(I know that I'll have problems if we ever get a self-driving car, even though I
know it'll be a better and safer driver than I am. But our current car is 20 years
old, so we're safe on that score for a while.)

> I have this voice
> in my head frequently (told you I have paranoia disorder) that we are using a
> lot technologies without knowing half the pictures of what the full consequences
> are.

The voice in your head has some good opinions ...

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Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

Steve-Wilme — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 07:45:34 GMT

I only have the one really smart thing in my house.

It's the wheaten terrier that always seems to get it's own way.

Re: Alexa, delete everything I said today

R2-D2 — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 20:54:22 GMT

Huh.... She's spying on you, LOL!