Alecsa ...does it spy on you ?

[Evans Electric]

On local radio today ........  the lady  presenter says she had a conversation with her husband about  needing more room in the house ,  husband suggests the only answer is to fit some boarding in the loft  for storage .

Later in the day he finds adverts on his phone for loft decking  have appeared .    They are thinking the Alecsa box thing  must have listened to  this and prompted the adverts.  

Makes you think .  

I posted on here a while back  ..... I normally deal with the works manager of a regular print works customer ,  he was on holiday so another director asks for a quote for some dado trunking .       Although I know the guy  , I 've never emailed him before  .   Send quote on my  Evans Electric  gmail  .          Next thing I see is a photo of the guy with his family , on a day out somewhere  , smiling at the camera  on my Facebook  page .     :C    Plus another of  the works manager  holding a pint at some drunken do somewhere.      

 

[ProDave]

I don't have one of these voice in the house spies, and I run my browser (Firefox) with an ad blocker and anti tracker installed.

I see precious little adverts of any sort, let alone targeted.

 

[Sharpend]

I disable all unnecessary cookies, refuse to have a smart box of any type in house and sometimes contemplate doing away with a smart phone.  
this technology is smarter than we are currently so in years to come AI will be far cleverer. Sadly advancement of technology results in man’s use of brain diminishing. 

 

[revjames]

I don't have an alexa nor do I want one, recently put new nextbase camera in the car and that comes with an alexa - not installing that! Its not just the alexa, its your phone as well. Have a conversation and it listens in and picks up key words. Next thing you are getting ads about what you were talking about. Less obvious is the way google monitors your search history and uses targeted adverts.

 

[Murdoch]

We have on Alexa in our kitchen and our son has one in his room. 

The app for our one is on my misses phone so I don't know if we get targeted adverts .................. wonder if there is a setting on the app to turn ads off?

 

[OnOff]

Start talking about something you don't usually; golf we tried. Didn't take long for the related emails to appear offering cheap clubs, lessons etc. You don't even have to start talking saying the "A" word first.

 

[Geoff1946]

There is no doubt that google picks up information to target adverts and shares it with Facebook, presumably for reward. I've seen this numerous times.

Now Alexa is Amazon and I've no idea if they buy google data but I've never seen any indication that they do. 

Certainly all Amazon devices on an account do collude.  My wife has several devices, kindle, etc as well as Alexa and we've just added a firestick to the TV.  They all appear listed on the Alexa App.

Final thought, if Alexa spies on conversations in our household I think she may be very disappointed.

 

[phil d]

I remember a woman discussing repainting her lounge and she said her favourite colour was blue.next time she used her computer the background colour had changed to blue, she had an Alexa.I dont need one I have enough trouble with the wife listening to things she shouldnt.lol

 

[ProDave]

Are all you lot "signed in with google?"

As far as I am concerned, google is just still a search engine.  I WILL NOT "Sign Up" to google no matter how many times they pester me to do so, in the hope by not "signing up" keeps my anonimity with them just a little bit.

 

[Evans Electric]

I don't know how these things work  TBH  , I think my phone is  hooked into Google  ,   constant annoying news items  now appear every day .

Just opened my phone , its an android whatever that means ,  thought it was from Star Wars . 

Theres a Google strip  that is showing ....Nigella microwave ...Millwall...Cher... Nikita Mazepin .....Zara Tindal .... Man. City  v Mars.....Cher ....  what the hell is all that about ?  

 

[Geoff1946]

Are all you lot "signed in with google?"

Yes, I use google e-mail and also have it set as home page because I like it better than Bing. 

I don't see adverts on my phone though, which is with ID, (cheapest contract part of Carphone Warehouse). 

It's just the google/facebook link I see regularly.

 

[Sharpend]

I have gmail but set preferences for cookies to off. 

 

[Evans Electric]

Just checking  mine . 

Edit :      And as usual  ...no sign of  where to  disable Cookies  . 

I  found all the photos on my phone are also stored in my gmail account .  

 

[Sharpend]

Just checking  mine . 

Edit :      And as usual  ...no sign of  where to  disable Cookies  . 

I  found all the photos on my phone are also stored in my gmail account .  

go onto web browser type in ‘google account’ go to ‘sign in’ you will then see privacy settings I believe it’s in there. 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

We have an Alexa gizmo in our lounge...

Had it for maybe 2 or 3 years now? cant remember

I personally hardly ever use it...  but the wife does..

Also The kids bought us a FireStick so when they come round they can watch a better choice of TV..

that maybe 2 years old as well?

As these devices have to be registered to someone's account...  in our case they are tied to My Amazon account...

The amount of numerous topics of conversation that are going on within range of Alexa, between my wife & two daughters who still live at home..

PLUS my other daughter and two sons when they visit.. (got 5 kids)..  

Alexa would be bombarding my computer with adverts for all and sundry...

BUT..  it doesn't..????    :C

So..  these things are certainly not as clever as some make them out them to be...

And..  TBH if the average family has multiple members..  But a single device is registered to one of that household..

Then 75% + of the household cannot be targeted for anything anyway... ?

So some of this spying logic is a bit flawed...

Unless you announce your name and a login before asking anything within range of Alexa  

Say my wife was talking about houseplants and my daughter was talking about female jogging lycra gear..

There is zero point in trying to link any related adverts onto my phone/PC/Laptop etc..

How would it know which device to send targeted adverts to in a household with 5 or more members??

:C

 

[Geoff1946]