# Amazon Echo and recording laws **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852 "2016-12-29T17:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852/1 "2016-12-29T17:56:52Z")
So devices like the Echo Dot are connected to a server and every sound they pick up is recorded there. There’s currently a case where the authorities are asking for the recordings to see if there’s evidence of a murder. In states where all participants must be aware of any recording of conversations are these legal? Would guests in your home need to be notified that devices are picking up their voice and recording it? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852/2 "2016-12-29T18:04:45Z")
From a [New York Times article](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/28/business/amazon-echo-murder-case-arkansas.html?_r=0): > [@](#): > > But Lynn Terwoerds, the executive director of the Executive Women’s Forum, which founded and sponsors the Voice Privacy Alliance, said in an email that the request for the information was built on a faulty premise. > > She said the Echo is always listening for a “wake word” — Alexa, Amazon or another customizable term — and records only what is said after it has been activated. She said it has 60 seconds of recorded sound in its storage. “What this ‘always listening’ means is that the device is not eavesdropping and interpreting everything you’re saying,” Ms. Terwoerds wrote. > > Once it detects the wake word, according to Amazon, the Echo starts streaming audio to the cloud, where it is secured until the customer permanently deletes it. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852/3 "2016-12-29T18:06:40Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > So devices like the Echo Dot are connected to a server and every sound they pick up is recorded there. Note that “every sound they pick up” is not “every sound you utter”. Devices like amazon Echo, Google’s “OK, Google”, Apple’s SIRI, and Microsoft’s (whatever it is) don’t activate until they hear their startup word/phrase “Siri, …” and that keyword recognition is handled locally. (Otherwise, your Internet usage would skyrocket.) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852/4 "2016-12-29T18:09:07Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > From a [New York Times article](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/28/business/amazon-echo-murder-case-arkansas.html?_r=0): Ok, but it’s recording for 60 seconds after it hears the wake word. That could include anything being said by anyone right? ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852/5 "2016-12-29T18:21:05Z")
It’s usually clear that the devices is recording/listening. The echo lights up, for example and you can also have it play a sound if you want. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852/6 "2016-12-29T18:24:31Z")
> [@scr4's article](#): > > Once it detects the wake word, according to Amazon, the Echo starts streaming audio to the cloud, where it is secured until the customer permanently deletes it. This [article](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/12/police-ask-alexa-did-you-witness-a-murder/) implies that Amazon itself doesn’t retain the audio recording indefinitely post processing. I don’t think Amazon would want to retain _all_ of the 60-second snippets it gets just in case one contains something useful. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852/7 "2016-12-29T18:46:02Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Ok, but it’s recording for 60 seconds after it hears the wake word. That could include anything being said by anyone right? Sure, but it’s not like anyone is going to be saying: “Alexa, listen to me kill my wife.” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852/8 "2016-12-29T19:51:51Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Sure, but it’s not like anyone is going to be saying: “Alexa, listen to me kill my wife.” No, but in desparation someone might, I suppose, say “Alexa, my husband is trying to kill me” Which raises an interesting question. Is there one quick phrase you could utter that would cause Alexa, Siri or Google to notify someone as to the identity of your attacker?