The Amazon driven police state

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Theoretical hyperbole ahead. Amazon announced its new products and Alexa updates today that could be summarized as problematic spy tech that a 5-year-old could easily think of alternative uses for. This includes a small home security drone with a camera and Alexa listening for things like footsteps and glass breaking.

I think this would be troubling if a more security-centric company was doing it, but even more so since it’s Amazon, especially given their well-publicized battle with Microsoft over a large government contract. Unlike Apple, I fully believe Bezos has a price tag in mind for access to people’s privacy, either publicly or through closed-door meetings.

 

[SuperMatt]

I don’t use Amazon. I don’t get the obsession with Alexa. It‘s supposedly a little better than Siri? Not worth it for me because I don’t trust Amazon with any personal data.

 

[ouimetnick]

Definitely don’t support the idea of a small drone flying around my home Recording things and uploading it to Amazon’s servers.

 

[Eric]

I don’t use Amazon. I don’t get the obsession with Alexa. It‘s supposedly a little better than Siri? Not worth it for me because I don’t trust Amazon with any personal data.

I don't really worry about that much, although I know Apple takes it very seriously and I do like that. I have Echos throughout my house and figure if they want to spend their time and resources listening to me tell my dogs to get out of the kitchen then more power to them.

 

[Alli]

I don't really worry about that much, although I know Apple takes it very seriously and I do like that. I have Echos throughout my house and figure if they want to spend their time and resources listening to me tell my dogs to get out of the kitchen then more power to them.

I hope they enjoy my Monday night Live sessions for Quan II.

 

[lizkat]

I hope they enjoy my Monday night Live sessions for Quan II.

My cats would really have gone for a drone flying around the place. They practically destroyed my living room once trying to catch a big moth that got in here when I opened the window after dark to remove the sliding screen. Place looked like a SWAT team had tossed it.

 

[SuperMatt]

I can see why Apple keeps hammering home the message that customer privacy is a concern of theirs. If Apple gives up on this, we are all screwed. Look at the latest from Amazon. I hope you like sharing your Internet connection with random strangers. If you are using a networked Amazon product, it’s going to be turned on by default.

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