As people across Wales and the wider UK start setting up their various gadgets they received for Christmas there is some important advice. Many people will be using their new Amazon Echo for the first time (you can buy them here). However some experts say you should be careful about which room you put the device in. Birmingham Live reported that some are urging people not to put Amazon Echo in bedrooms.
According to associate professor at University College London, Dr Hannah Fry, the digital assistant should be treated the same as other guests in your home and kept out of private areas. Dr Fry said the technology can record conversations. She said: "I think there are some spaces in your home, like the bedroom and bathroom, which should remain completely private. This technology is activated by a trigger word but it keeps recording for a short period afterwards. People accept that, but we should all spend more time thinking about what it means for us."
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Carolyn Jenkins, from EPSoft Technologies said: "Voice-activated tech is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used well or badly. Start by understanding the privacy and security settings available in the voice tech you are using, as well as the data retention policies of the company supplying the tech. Presume everything you say is being listened to and recorded, and adjust the settings you can from there until you are comfortable."
Brad Thomas, from Prophecy International, said: "These technologies are great time-savers and make life easier, but they also make it easy to inadvertently share private information without thinking. These devices are always on, collecting data about you and your habits to better provide services — but there is no filter, and they simply collect it all. This makes it too easy to share private data with big tech that you did not intend to share."
How can you delete conversations from your Amazon Echo?
Amazon Alexa owners are warned to delete conversations, and they can do so by visiting Settings > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data. From here, select Choose How Long to Save Recordings > Don't Save Recordings > Confirm. Then, scroll down to Help Improve Alexa, and switch the Use of Voice Recordings to off.
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