Amazon is flipping the switch on a controversial privacy change that will force all Echo users to send their voice recordings to the cloud—whether they like it or not.
Starting March 28, the tech giant is killing off the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” setting, meaning every command spoken to Alexa will be processed on Amazon’s servers. If you refuse, expect some features to stop working.
The move is tied to the rollout of Alexa+, Amazon’s AI-powered assistant, which promises more advanced capabilities but comes at the cost of user privacy. In an email to customers, Amazon justified the decision by saying that Alexa’s generative AI features rely on “the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud.” But critics argue that this change forces Echo owners to choose between their privacy and the full functionality of their already-purchased devices.
Privacy or functionality? Pick one
With this change, any Echo user who previously opted out of voice recordings being sent to Amazon will lose that control. And if you choose to delete recordings after processing, Amazon will disable Alexa’s Voice ID, which is used for personalisation features like tailored calendar events and reminders.
In other words, Amazon is giving users an ultimatum: let the company save recordings of everything you say or lose key Alexa features.
Amazon’s track record on handling Alexa voice data is far from spotless. In 2023, the company was fined $25 million for storing children’s voice recordings indefinitely. And in 2019, a Bloomberg report revealed that Amazon employees were listening to thousands of user recordings daily, something Amazon claims was done to “improve” Alexa’s speech recognition.
Alexa needs to make money
Behind this move is Amazon’s struggle to make Alexa profitable. The company has lost more than $25 billion on the voice assistant since 2017, and Alexa+ is its latest attempt to turn things around. While Amazon insists the free version of Alexa will still be available, it’s clear the focus is on getting people to pay for premium AI-driven features.
Alexa+ is expected to eventually require a subscription, either via Amazon Prime or a standalone $19.99/month fee.