Depending on who's listening (post-processing recordings in bulk) and your tone, scolding your children might get you a visit from the authorities if over-eager busibodies are listening.
Do we really need more of that?
Do we really need more of that?
But let's say that yes, this absurd hypothetical is possible and happens.
Someone is capturing full audio from your device even though it allegedly only transmits when certain phrases are used (e.g., "Alexa..."). They've tunneled through your modem, router and AP and are capturing directly from your device.
That same someone is somehow able to process hours of ambient sounds, conversations and everything else to pick out someone using an inappropriate tone with their children.
They then take these recordings to a local child protection agency (e.g., CPS) and present the audio along with your information to develop an actionable case against you.
That child protection agency then decides your tone was strong enough that they need to pursue legal action.
How does this hold up in court? How does illegally-obtained audio stand as evidence? How are they able to prove it was you and not a relative or visitor?
It won't hold up; this is insane. Your point about the wrong tone being used against you is insane. I get being paranoid and not trusting these devices but get real!
I agree it seems unlikely, though, especially if you are relatively wealthy and white. (Also who is hacking into your system with this as their goal and how likely is that? On the other hand, in the age of swatting, anything seems possible.)
As we continue to advance universal surveillance though (self- and other-), I think we will start to see stuff like this happening more. It'll take a little while.
For example (white, but not wealthy): https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/13/parent...
> Montgomery County police and county Children's Protective Services are jointly investigating the Meitivs of Silver Spring for allowing their children to walk repeatedly around the neighborhood alone. The parents say they know where their children are but are allowing them independence.
> Officers picked up the children about two blocks from home, Rafi said, telling them they would drop them off at home. Instead, the two sat in a patrol car for 2½ hours then were taken about 10 miles away to Children's Protective Services offices in Rockville, Md.
Even then, I have some relatives (white and middle-class) that lived in an apartment. The people on the other side of the wall reported them for yelling at their kids. Fortunately for them they had a friend at the CPS who called them and told them that CPS was coming the next morning to take away their kids. So they packed up and moved out of state that night.
When people say they have nothing to hide, they're also saying they have no abuse of power to confront, and nobody who is persecuted to stand with in solidarity. And for some reason, they think they're the standard, or that any of this is new. Look into history, with any totalitarian government, any oppressive king, you'll always find people going "doesn't affect me". It's as old, and as valuable, as dirt.
It's not remotely out of line to discuss the implications of hijacking an Alexa in a discussion thread on an article that describes exactly how to hijack an Alexa. You don't have to sound incredulous about that part...
That's a ridiculous scenario.
How about, "Alexa itself transmits to the cloud. 10 years from now, a scanning service post-processes recordings using sentiment analysis and emotional state tracking now required by the new administration. State regulators have determined that parents should not talk to children in tones that fall into $this_band$. Regulations make Amazon responsible to report this to the authorities or face financial penalties."
Today, folks are being deported from this country after living here for a decade under the Dream Act. So, no, I don't put much stock in your assertion that things won't be applied retroactively or used to "forecast outcomes".
oh-you.jpg
https://www.wired.com/2012/05/google-wifi-fcc-investigation/
So, yeah, these appliances could be doing anything at any future point due to remote updates.