Amazon Echo and the internet of things that spy on you

originally posted by: alphabetaone

originally posted by: lordcomac
a reply to: soficrow

I would think they wouldn't be treated any differently than a cctv system.

The law treats audio recording very much differently than video captures.

No updates yet, but found this.

Fighting Echo Warrant, Amazon Has Scant Law to Draw On

...But while previous digital privacy cases have centered on encryption or when authorities need a warrant, the Echo case touches on what restraints should be put in place when authorities have a warrant and the data is accessible. Some experts see the current law as ill-equipped to handle the technologies the public is rapidly adopting.

"What ought to be the standard of disclosure for captured data once we have all (or most) decided to introduce a permanent wiretap into our home?" said Yochai Benkler, a Harvard professor who studies technology and the law. "We are moving into a universe where we need to … revise Fourth Amendment doctrine to set high barriers for access to data captured by a ubiquitous surveillance device like the Echo."

It occurs to me that in some cases you would want it on and listening.

For example, if you had someone coming into your house to take care of your pets (an always on-always recording for short term would confirm what they'd done and that they were honest.) Or if you lived in a neighborhood where there were frequent break-ins and so forth, this would capture voices and comments if there was a break-in and provide valuable information to the cops. Or if you were chronically ill or had a very frail family member (perhaps one undergoing chemo, who lived alone or was alone for most of the day)....

Or if you had to deal with a violent family member.

In short, I can see a lot of uses for it.

I am all for privacy and I think it should have a mode where you can reliably set it to sleep and not wake up without having to dismantle every single device around you. But I don't think it should be discarded altogether.

a reply to: Byrd

Agreed.

But who 'owns' the info? Who has the right to use it? What are the limits on access?