Smart speakers, and the use of voice assistants, have exploded in popularity in recent years but suspicions surrounding the privacy implications of using such devices have started to climb.
This was all made worse earlier this year when it was revealed that companies including Amazon and Google employed contractors to record and analyse the interactions people were having with their Alexa or Google Assistant devices in order to improve the programming of the software.
A Bloomberg report on the Amazon practices claimed staff had even reported hearing recordings they described as “distressing”.
Now it looks like these practices are going to be changing. Google has agreed to pause the listening and transcribing of Google Assistant recordings for three months in Europe as Hamburg’s commissioner for data protection is investigating the practice.
In a statement, the commissioner said: “The use of automatic speech assistants from providers such as Google, Apple and Amazon is proving to be highly risky for the privacy of those affected.”
As well, it looks like Apple is following suit. A Guardian report last week highlighted that snippets of Siri recordings containing “medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex” are being sent to contractors around the world. However, following the report, the company is now suspending its worldwide Siri recording programme.
Apple told TechCrunch it will review the process and in the future will issue a software update that lets users opt-out of allowing snippets of their conversations to be used for training in this way.
If you haven't been concerned about the privacy issues of using a smart speaker or voice assistant in the past, then now is probably the best time to begin. Although at least now you can feel safe in the knowledge that a random person will not be overhearing your conversation.
This speaks to the era of big tech that we’re in now, where we’re often giving away our data without realising it’s even happening or the implications and problems that arise from that.
