Why You Should NEVER Buy an Amazon Echo or Even Get Near One | naked capitalism

Source: Why You Should NEVER Buy an Amazon Echo or Even Get Near One | naked capitalism

Why Amazon’s Echo, Google’s Home, and other “home assistants” are a threat to your privacy.

At some time in the not too distant future, analysts will be able to make queries like, “Tell me who was within 15 feet of Person X at least eight times in the last six months.” That will produce a reliable list of their family, friends, lovers, and other close associates.

Although voice identification has a margin of error that would make it unacceptable for legal identification and non-repudiation, it still has useful utility for intelligence and “user experience” applications, especially when paired with other available data.