Amazon Echo users will no longer have the option to process their Alexa voice recordings locally, which means those recordings (with the exception of certain Alexa features like wake word detection) will be sent to the company’s cloud.
Ars Technica reports that on Friday, Amazon sent an email to customers who have “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” enabled on their Echo smart speakers and displays (specifically the fourth generation Echo Dot, Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15), stating the company would stop supporting the privacy-enhancing feature on March 28.
“As we continue to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature,” the email said.
This comes as Amazon is rolling out a new version of its voice-controlled AI assistant, now known as Alexa+. Consumers and regulators have raised concerns about Alexa’s privacy implications in the past, with Amazon agreeing to pay $25 million in a 2023 settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over children’s privacy.
In a statement, the company told TechCrunch, “The Alexa experience is designed to protect our customers’ privacy and keep their data secure, and that’s not changing. We’re focusing on the privacy tools and controls that our customers use most and work well with generative AI experiences that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud.”
This post has been updated with a statement from Amazon.
