# **Amazon Ditches Privacy Feature to Promote Alexa+ Subscription**
Amazon is implementing a contentious alteration to its Alexa voice assistant by eliminating a vital privacy feature while rolling out **Alexa+**, a new subscription-based model of the AI assistant. The company has recently notified users that **Echo devices will no longer allow local processing of Alexa requests**, which means all voice recordings will be transmitted to Amazon’s cloud servers for processing. This change, effective **March 28**, has sparked concerns among privacy advocates and Echo users.
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## **What’s Different?**
In the past, Amazon permitted Echo users to activate a setting named **“Do Not Send Voice Recordings,”** which ensured that Alexa requests were processed on the device instead of being sent to Amazon’s cloud. This feature offered an added layer of privacy for users concerned about their voice data being recorded or analyzed by Amazon.
However, in a notification to customers, Amazon declared that this privacy option will be eliminated. **All voice interactions with Alexa will now be automatically routed to Amazon’s cloud for processing**, irrespective of user preferences.
Amazon defended the shift by stating:
> *“As we expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that utilize Amazon’s secure cloud processing power, we have opted to discontinue support for this feature.”*
This indicates that **users who had previously opted out of cloud processing will be compelled to permit Amazon to collect and analyze their voice recordings**.
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## **Why Is Amazon Implementing This Change?**
The removal of local processing aligns closely with the introduction of **Alexa+**, Amazon’s new subscription-based AI assistant. A standout feature of Alexa+ is **Alexa Voice ID**, which enables the assistant to identify various users within a household and provide tailored responses.
To activate Alexa Voice ID, Amazon requires access to **stored voice recordings**. By withdrawing the ability to process requests locally, Amazon ensures that all Echo users—regardless of whether they subscribe to Alexa+—must transmit their voice data to the cloud.
This shift implies that Amazon is placing a higher priority on the **enhancement of Alexa’s AI capabilities** over user privacy, as it moves towards a more advanced, subscription-based business approach.
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## **Privacy Issues and Amazon’s History**
Numerous users are troubled by this transition, considering Amazon’s **track record with voice recordings**. Some major concerns include:
– **Amazon’s historical data retention challenges**: In 2023, Amazon consented to **pay $25 million** in civil fines after it was discovered that the company **retained children’s Alexa recordings indefinitely**, breaching privacy laws.
– **Access to voice recordings by employees**: In 2019, it was reported that Amazon staff **listened to thousands of Alexa recordings** to refine speech recognition.
– **Utilization of Alexa data in legal cases**: There have been occasions where **Alexa voice recordings were subpoenaed in criminal investigations**, raising alarms about how this data might be accessed or abused in the future.
– **Privacy infringements associated with Ring cameras**: Amazon has also been scrutinized regarding its **Ring security cameras**, amid allegations of employees having unauthorized access to private video footage.
Given these previous incidents, it’s understandable that many users are reluctant to allow Amazon to store and process their voice recordings.
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## **Users Face a Tough Decision**
Amazon’s choice places Echo users in a challenging situation. They must decide between:
1. **Permitting Amazon to store and process their voice recordings**, risking potential privacy violations.
2. **Deactivating Voice ID and forfeiting vital Alexa features**, such as personalized responses and multi-user awareness.
3. **Discontinuing the use of Echo devices entirely**, if they are unwilling to accept the new privacy terms.
Although Amazon contends that **voice recordings will be erased after processing by default**, users who previously opted for **“Don’t save recordings”** will now see their **Voice ID feature deactivated**. This indicates that **if users wish to maintain access to Alexa’s personalized features, they must permit Amazon to store their voice data**.
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## **The Broader Context: Alexa’s Financial Troubles**
Amazon’s choice to eliminate this privacy feature seems to be part of a larger initiative to **monetize Alexa**, which has faced financial difficulties in recent times. Reports suggest that **Alexa has cost Amazon over $25 billion** in losses over four years, with no evident route to profitability.
By launching **Alexa+ as a paid subscription service**, Amazon aims to transform its voice assistant into a revenue-generating entity. However, this transition comes at the expense of user privacy, as Amazon emphasizes **AI-driven functionalities and data collection** over consumer autonomy.
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## **Concluding Thoughts**
Amazon’s decision to **mandate all Alexa users to send voice recordings to the cloud** represents a considerable change in the company’s approach to user privacy. While the company asserts that this change is essential to support **advanced AI features**, it
