Amazon Sends an Urgent Message to Its Customers Worldwide: This Friday

Starting March 28, 2025, Amazon will make a decision that will affect users of its Echo devices. The company will remove an important privacy feature in Alexa, its virtual assistant.

This feature allowed users to opt out of storing their voice recordings in Amazon's cloud. Now, all recordings that Alexa makes will be sent and stored in the cloud, with no option to disable it.

This measure has raised concerns among users, who fear for the security of their personal data. Echo devices, which use Alexa to interact with users, are becoming increasingly common in homes. However, with this new policy, users lose a layer of control over their conversations and data.

What Changes with This Privacy Removal?

Before this change, Alexa users could choose not to save their voice recordings. This feature allowed for greater privacy, as recordings were only stored if the user wanted them to be. This way, personal conversations were not recorded without their consent.

With Amazon's new policy, all voice commands users give to Alexa will be recorded and automatically stored in the cloud. Amazon claims they are used to improve Alexa's services, such as personalizing responses and learning voice patterns. However, many users feel uncomfortable with the idea of their private conversations being stored without their authorization.

Privacy Concerns

The main concern among Alexa users is the security of their data. By storing recordings in the cloud, Amazon could have access to a large amount of sensitive information.

Although the company assures that the recordings are protected by security measures, many users do not trust the system. The idea that Amazon could have access to private conversations without the explicit consent of users has caused fear.

Amazon Responds to Criticism

In response to the criticism, Amazon has assured that this measure aims to improve the quality of Alexa's service. The company has emphasized that storing recordings is essential for the functioning and continuous improvement of the virtual assistant. They also claim that the recordings are used to train the system and make it more efficient in understanding voice commands.

Amazon has also pointed out that users can still review and delete their recordings through their account settings. However, the fact that these recordings are stored by default in the cloud remains a controversial point.

What Alternatives Do Users Have?

For users who remain concerned about privacy, there are some options available. First, they can choose to disable Alexa completely at certain times, which prevents the device from listening and recording voice commands. However, this option limits the functionality of the assistant, which relies on constant interaction with the user.

Another option is to manually delete recordings from the Amazon account settings. However, this process must be done regularly, as recordings continue to be stored automatically.

User Reactions

User reactions have been mixed. Some understand Amazon's need to improve its services, but many consider privacy to be more important.

For these users, the removal of this feature is a step back in terms of control over their data. Echo devices, which initially offered greater privacy, now seem to be more intrusive.

The change also affects those who use Alexa in their homes for everyday tasks, such as music, weather, or lights. Although these services are not necessarily sensitive, the idea that daily conversations are recorded and stored without the user's full consent has caused concern.