Embarrassing Alexa

I have three, kitchen, sitting room and bedroom and love them!

Listening to some Joan Baez now on the kitchen one while I'm cooking dinner (and drinking wine...)

Often use them to catch up on radio programmes I've missed; and have the bedroom one on Radio 4 quietly all night. It's company in the night, and doesn't stop me from sleeping.

keepingquiet

Those things are always listening which is why I don't have one.

Me too. No way.

It was amusing

I should explain that Alexa was flashing and I asked her what the notification was - thinking it might be a weather warning - not an invitation to order some more incontinence pads! Anyway, my original post was meant to be a lighthearted warning. I will certainly be disabling the notifications for Amazon purchases.

kittylester

My Alexa would only tell me that if I asked her about notifications - not randomly.

I love my Alexa. I use it for lots of different things and they can be a boon for people with memory problems.

Same here. We don't get random notifications, our Alexa flashes if there is a notification. We have to ask what it is. Often we don't!

They do listen, they have to as they need to recognise the “wake” word.
Our mobile phones also listen.
Unless you’re plotting a terrorist attack or a major heist AIBU do t think it’s worth worrying about.

We have 7 and use them, mostly are radios.

The kids get them to tell jokes, fart and to answer random questions.

Anyone who wants to list to my playlists or the grandchildren getting hysterical about farts is welcome to listen in.

Ours is also linked to our Ring - a brilliant feature.

There seems be be quite a bit of paranoia about.

Marg75

I'm sure they don't listen!! They just react to what you order on Amazon for goodness sake and what you ask them about. We love ours, talk to our daughter face to face on our Alexa Show and she lives 200 miles away and have music etc on our Echo Dot in the kitchen.

Oh they DO listen! I was chatting to a friend one morning when she had coffee at my house, and she mentioned a song I have never heard. The next day, when I asked Alexa to play a playlist, that song was the first one she played. BUT……it wasn’t on any of my playlists! I gave Alexa away after that. It was far too creepy for me, living on my own!

I wouldn't have one in the house if you paid me a million pounds. Humans have managed without them forever.

Do you think they really have thousands of minions sitting listening to millions of Alexa comments? I accept they will analyse all the statistical evidence Alexa supplies but cannot agree that they Are listening.

My Alexa hasn’t ever done such a thing.

I find this hard to believe.

We’ve got one in the kitchen, it goes on for music in the morning and off at night, don’t use it for anything else.

No Alexa for me

Never had anything to do with Alexa but surely it must be listening all the time to react when you speak to it.

Yes AGAA4 - it’s happened to me as well, couple of times. She is probably triggered by any loud sound, like a window/door closing or a loud cough 😂

I'm sure they don't listen!! They just react to what you order on Amazon for goodness sake and what you ask them about. We love ours, talk to our daughter face to face on our Alexa Show and she lives 200 miles away and have music etc on our Echo Dot in the kitchen.

I only have Alexa on if I want to listen to music. One night I was woken by Alexa saying something. She/it was in another room and usually will only respond to a voice so it was a bit unnerving as I was alone in the house.

Love my Alexas - I have 2 - one upstairs and a more modern one - EchoDot downstairs.

No Alexa for me

My Alexa would only tell me that if I asked her about notifications - not randomly.

I love my Alexa. I use it for lots of different things and they can be a boon for people with memory problems.

Alexa here gets switched off at night. She probably does listen in during the day. 😁

Pittcity

You can turn these messages off and just have a text reminder instead.

My DGS likes to ask Alexa to fart!

That doesn't stop it listening to you, though.

You can turn these messages off and just have a text reminder instead.

My DGS likes to ask Alexa to fart!

No Alexa here!

I don't want my conversations listened to and used for analysis and training.

Eg Amazon has been criticised for recording children's voices through its Alexa devices without parental consent. Lawsuits across multiple USA states claim that Alexa created detailed voiceprints of children, leading to fears of intrusive profiling. Critics argue that Amazon's measures for user control over data deletion are insufficient, particularly concerning minors' information. Although Amazon defends its practices, the lack of robust safeguards continues to fuel concerns.