Naturally, answer that comes to this question is the following:
"Your security comes first in everything Google does. It is important Google keeps your data private and safe and puts you in control."
It is very nice to hear that they value our privacy, but do they really? Recent Facebook - Cambridge Analytica data scandal make us doubt safeness of our private information.
With the growing popularity of Voice Assistants such as Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and Google we cannot help but be worried whether or not we are being constantly eavesdropped. The market for smart speakers is rapidly growing, which includes Amazon Echo and Google Home Hub.
Developers and brand representatives assure the public, that the mentioned devices activate only after a wake-word ("Hey, Alexa" or "Okay, Google"). However, some facts point out that it is not completely the case:
- In 2014 Amazon patented an algorithm that could analyze conversations and search trigger words that describe one's interests, such as "like", "love", "want", "prefer" etc. in order to target better advertisement.
- A YouTube blogger Mitchollow in his live stream conducted series of experiments testing whether or not Google is always listening. The result is: it is!
- I repeated the experiment with my own Android device, and the outcome scared me: advertisements of a car retail company popped up right after the conversation with my little brother (Note: my little brother had a stack of small toy-cars and was simply asking which one I would like to get)
Surely, getting personalized ads is very convenient, but doesn't it bother you that someone else decides what you want to see and what is unnecessary for you? Aren't we independant human beings with freedom of choice and our own thoughts?
And if we are under constant surveillance, who gets to see our personal information ?
"He who owns the information, owns the world,"
FBI gives an interesting response to the Freedom of Information Act request
"We cannot confirm nor deny wiretapping Amazon Echo"
Why would they need to listen to our coversations? Is it an implementation that we are all potential criminals and are dangerous for society?
Or these governmental agencies are feared people might start a rebellion against administration?
Wiretapping was a common practice during Stalin's totalitarian regime in the USSR along with repressions. Still, here we are in Democracy and under constant surveillance.
At the end of the day, it is not only an issue of what these gadgets can do, but what people having so much information are capable of.