What this story covers:
Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa help people with countless tasks — checking the weather, playing music, resolving a dispute. But there is a growing concern among privacy advocates and smartphone users about how much our devices are listening to us, and what can be done with that data.
Why it matters:
Research shows that a vast amount of personal information is being collected by voice assistants — and it could come back to haunt users.
By Tim Dashiell & Danielle Williams
Our phones have become extensions of our bodies. And one of the most common features in smartphones is the friendly, always-on-call virtual assistant. We’re on a first-name basis: “Hey, Siri.” “Alexa, I have a question.” We wake them up by saying their name. They help us out. And then, seemingly, they take a nap until our next question. That’s how our interactions work in theory, but there’s more going on behind the scenes.
Increasingly, privacy advocates have sounded the alarm about how much data Siri, Alexa, Google Home and other virtual assistants sweep up without us knowing it. And that data that can come back to haunt us. What are the privacy concerns? Have users noticed their devices listening when they aren’t supposed to be? Are they alarmed? In this podcast, we answer those questions and address ways that users can safeguard themselves.
“Data is being collected by so many people and your data is being sold to so many other people — you have no control over your personal information. Your personal financial information is being sold and marketed pretty much every minute of the day. People are making judgments about you based on that data that you have no control over.”
Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates
Many companies have gotten into the voice assistant marketplace, one that remains dominated by Siri.