Amazon's Alexa voice-assistant is raising security concerns after an Oregon couple's conversation was recorded without their knowledge and sent to a contact.
Valentina Fulton of Oakwood said her family used their Amazon Echo for music and fun for the kids -- but no more.
“We disconnected it for a couple of reasons. It kept turning on, on it’s own and then I also read about the couple whose Alexa was recording them,” said Fulton.
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There are ways to avoid an accidental recording and transmission, said Mark Human, CEO of Human IT in Beavercreek.
First, mute your device when it is not in use or unplug it.
Next, log into your settings, disable messaging and avoid uploading your contacts.
“If you already have, those are in the cloud. The only way to get those permanently deleted is to call Amazon’s customer service and they can help delete that for you,” Human said.
Users should also go into their history to check saved messages/recordings and delete them.
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While Echos, Google Homes and Apple Home Pods can be helpful and convenient, you have to know the risks, said Human.
“A lot of these devices can get out information about you that you don’t want pushed out. I suggest you look and think before you buy the next gee-whiz device and figure out if it makes sense for you,” Human said.
For Fulton, using Alexa is too risky.
“I don’t want it doing things without me knowing, and I feel very vulnerable,” Fulton said, “I can live without it.”
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