Be careful what you say children, Alexa is listening

CHILDREN are at risk of giving too much information to Alexa, Goldsmiths University has warned.

Dr Veronica Barassi, a lecturer there, claimed that home devices, such as smart speakers and virtual assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, are “intertwining” information about children with their parents without their knowledge.

In a report launched today, Dr Barassi said that these devices were gathering family data, which could give tech companies an unparalleled insight into children’s lives.

“Many internet companies accumulate vast amounts of data for unclear purposes and often share with data brokers,” she said. “The very newness of the home-automation environment means we do not know what algorithms are doing with this ‘messy’ data that includes children’s data.” She told The Daily Telegraph

A spokesman for Google said: “The privacy and security of our users is of the utmost importance, which is why we have spent years making available tools like the Myactivity page so people can understand and control their Google data and make the choices that are right for them.” Amazon was also contacted for comment.

 Alexa could soon listen to you through your microwave oven as Amazon prepares to launch its smart voice assistant in as many as eight new devices before the end of the year, CNBC reported. Amazon said: “We do not comment on rumours or speculation.”