If you have one of these, this might interest you. Two women were murdered in their home. The police wanted Amazon to allow them to hear any ALEXA recordings the women made the nite of the murder. Amazon has been fighting against the release of recordings. Last week a judge ordered them to give them to LEO's. How do you feel about Alex recording in your home?

Last week, a judge in New Hampshire ordered Amazon to hand over recordings of an Echo smart speaker found in the home where a double murder took place last year in Farmington.

Authorities believe the recordings may provide information that could put the murderer behind bars. If Amazon does hand over the private data of its users to law enforcement, it won’t just involve the tech company in a murder case. It will also be the latest incident to raise serious questions about how much data tech companies collect about their customers with and without their knowledge, how that data can be used, and what it means for privacy.

An Amazon Echo might be a key witness in a murder trial
Last January, Timothy Verrill was charged with first-degree murder by the New Hampshire attorney general in the deaths of two women, Christine Sullivan and Jenna Pellegrini. Police found the women’s bodies in the backyard of Sullivan’s boyfriend, Dean Smoronk, whom local New Hampshire media reported Verrill knew.

Verrill was spotted on home surveillance video with both Sullivan and Pellegrini. He was also seen on video hours later buying cleaning supplies at a store and returning to the house. After Smoronk called 911 to report his girlfriend missing, police found the bodies and seized an Amazon Echo speaker in the kitchen, next to the spot where police believe Sullivan was killed. Last Friday, a judge ordered Amazon to hand over the recordings on the Echo, as well as any information of cellphones that were paired to the speaker on the date of the murder.

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors believe the Echo might have useful information to make the case against Verrill, whose trial begins May 2019, including details about what happened during and after the murder, such as “possible removal of the body from the kitchen.”

In a statement to Vox, Amazon said it won’t “release customer information without a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us” and that “Amazon objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.” It didn’t comment on whether the company will hand over the data once it’s served a motion, or if it will challenge the ruling.


Article

Double edge sword. Amazon may be looked.at.with contempt later down the road.

I thought Amazon said those things only "listen" and don't record? I won't have one in my house even though I'm sure some other device I have is probably already recording me.

Not going to lie, we have one, although it isn't even plugged in. Not because of the listening thing, I just don't see a use for it at all. My phone does everything it does.

our phones do the same thing if you have google assistant installed and its a factory program on most phones it has permission to use mic,camera,collect data ect... thats why sometimes when you talk about something then youll get an add for what you were talking about next time you log in. I actively disable every app permission to use my camera mic data or contacts

Interesting because the government has already used information from them in criminal cases. There is a case out of the 4th circuit. In that case, the court rules they didn’t need a warrant to listen because you are voluntarily giving the information.

I'm sure if you could ask the victims they would tell you they don't mind the gov't invading their privacy postmortem to solve their murders.

but it being ok with the victim over the right of ever body else ?

Amazon is just trying to put the constitutionality liability on the back of the authorities by requiring the proper paperwork be presented before they release customer information. They also are trying to hide anything they “inadvertently” collect whithout customer knowledge.

Cathead, I don't think they collect “inadvertently”. If it was incidental, why would they need collection devices? I mean did the collection devices just appear? DUH!

Amazon is just trying to keep their sales from plummeting. As soon as people find out how much it actually records who in their right mind would buy one?

It is surprising how much of their freedom and privacy younger generations are willingly giving up for the 'convenience' of new technologies. Absolutely stupid.

Everyone will still buy them, even if the know they're being record and even video taped every second of the day. Most folks don't value privacy anymore.

You can bet your ass, it's recording every second of every day. Very scary to even think about. It's already to the point, that your being video recorded anytime you're outside your house and now there are devices that listen to everything you do inside your house. While this kind of technology is great when used the right way, it could royally screw EVERYONE in the future if the black helicopters start circling.

I have several google minis installed in recessed lighting fixtures in the house. We use them for music when entertaining. Being in the light fixture they are usually never on unless those particular lights are on. Since we have over 60 can lights those lights are usually never on lol.

There is no way I would have one of those things in my house.

Yep.....they don't have to "invade" anyone's privacy because most people are willingly giving their privacy away...

Not everyone, cause I ain't. And neither is my wife. I even have the camera lens facing me on my cell taped. call me paranoid if you want

This X100.

As public service, I am letting everyone that thinks this is black helicopter mumbo jumbo that Woot has the Amazon Echos on sale for $14.99. Get you a Big Brother today.