The Verge (link):
Amazon is discontinuing a feature that allowed users of some of its Echo smart speakers to choose not to send their voice recordings to the cloud. According to an email the company sent to users that was posted on Reddit, it will disable the feature that allowed select Echos to process Alexa requests locally on the device on March 28th, 2025.
The move appears to be connected to the launch of its [generative AI-powered Alexa Plus, slated for later this month (March 28th, perhaps?). The email states, “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.”
Despite the smart home era being one of my favorites, and I am a smart home user, I don't like the idea of forcing Internet onto anyone. Every device should have the ability to communicate locally, offline, without external assistance. If your device can't do this, you have built a brick by default.
OpenHA is going to become more of a thing, as more people are realizing their privacy is at stake when making use of technology by big companies (Google, Amazon, et al.).
Let's not forget companies have been caught spying on users several times.
Apple, opens new tab agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that its voice-activated Siri assistant violated users' privacy.
A preliminary settlement was filed on Tuesday night in the Oakland, California federal court, and requires approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.
Mobile device owners complained that Apple routinely recorded their private conversations after they activated Siri unintentionally, and disclosed these conversations to third parties such as advertisers. --[Reuters](Apple to pay $95 million to settle Siri privacy lawsuit | Reuters)
Or how about the time Avast decided to use its suites for evil.
The Federal Trade Commission has finalized an order banning software provider Avast from selling, disclosing, or licensing any web browsing data for advertising purposes to settle charges the company and its subsidiaries sold such information after promising that its products would protect consumers from online tracking. The company also must pay $16.5 million, which is expected to be used to provide redress to consumers. --FTC
An anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-spyware, etc are friendly trojans - don't forget this. They have ultimate access to your PC or mobile device, and you're trusting them in good faith they won't violate your privacy. They almost need held to a higher standard when dealing with privacy. Banks are, right?
These are just two I'm wanting to point out as they are dire in nature. I'm all for smart devices, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and so on, but not taking away local usage.