Amazon is making a huge overhaul to its Echo devices, but it’s not what the users are expecting. Starting March 28, the feature that keeps Alexa voice recordings away from Amazon’s cloud will be gone.
This means all Echo voice requests will be handled by Amazon’s servers, eliminating the existing privacy feature that enabled local processing. For users, this equates to invading their privacy.
Amazon Ends ‘Do Not Send Voice Recordings’ Feature
Amazon Echo Privacy: Alexa ‘Do Not Send Voice Recordings’ Feature
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Amazon recently informed Echo owners through email of the impending changes. The notice read:
“We are reaching out to let you know that the Alexa feature ‘Do Not Send Voice Recordings’ that you enabled on your supported Echo device(s) will no longer be available beginning March 28, 2025,” the email reads. “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.”
This choice is connected to Amazon’s move to extend Alexa’s capabilities through generative AI. But it comes at the expense of even more information being collected and a loss of privacy for Echo users.
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Loss of Voice ID and Personalized Features
Along with discontinuing the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” feature, users who have turned on the “Don’t Save Recordings” option will also no longer be able to use Voice ID.
Voice ID enables Alexa to identify individual users and customize responses according to personal preferences, including music tastes, calendar events, and reminders.
To preserve these personalized aspects, users will need to toggle off the “Don’t Save Recordings” feature manually, as per Mashable. Otherwise, Voice ID and other personalized Alexa features will be lost.
Every Voice Data Going to Amazon’s Cloud
From March 28, all voice commands given to an Echo device will be routed through Amazon’s cloud servers. Users will no longer be able to keep their data offline, which raises data privacy issues.
Although Amazon assures that Alexa voice commands are “always encrypted in transit to Amazon’s secure cloud” and provides customers with several layers of security, privacy groups are not convinced.
When the information reaches the Amazon servers, it is exposed to possible misuse or examination by employees at Amazon.
Amazon Echo Users Complain About Privacy Issues
News of these changes has sparked outrage among Echo users, with many taking to Reddit and other forums to express their displeasure. Many users feel betrayed by Amazon’s decision to eliminate a key privacy feature that initially attracted them to Echo devices.
Privacy-conscious users contend that taking away the option to exclude cloud processing degrades trust and makes their smart home devices more invasive. Others are even planning to stop using Alexa altogether.
The Arrival of Alexa+ and Future AI Enhancements
Alexa+ subscription is impressive with several AI upgrades. Technical issues hindered its release, but Amazon assured that it’s coming out in late 2025.
Amazon says Alexa+ will offer a more “context-aware and seamless experience” and will work with other Alexa-connected devices such as Ring video doorbells. However, the shift to processing all voice data in the cloud has caused some to wonder if the improvements are worth the price.
Is Amazon Sacrificing Privacy for AI Advancements?
Amazon’s decision to remove local processing will speed up Alexa’s performance but jeopardize users’ privacy. As much as the company assures everyone that its cloud infrastructure is safe, the fact is that the moment voice data is sent off a device, it’s outside the user’s control.
As for many users, they would never trust Echo and Alexa again. Some Reddit users reported that they already unplugged their Alexa-activated devices. Soon, they would also stop using the voice feature on their phones.
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