Since its June 2015 release, civil liberties activists have been concerned with the dangers associated with Amazon's Echo device. The device responds to either "wake," "Alexa," or "Amazon," and records audio automatically. Echo is also capable of voice interaction and providing weather, traffic and other real-time information.
The device is a part of the growing trend towards Smart devices and appliances, which are themselves a part of the move towards Smart Homes and a completely interconnected digital Smart Grid. This Smart Grid is sometimes known as "The Internet of Things," meant to describe a future where all smart devices (computers, phones, Amazon's Echo, smart washer and dryers) are constantly listening and watching. These smart devices will be connected within your home, as well as to other users' devices across the globe. This vision of a totally connected grid of digital devices is ripe for manipulation and surveillance by both the corporate entities who sell them and the governments that believe it is their right to access the public's most private details.
This volatile situation is now becoming a reality with a recent Arkansas case involving a murder suspect and the possibility that Amazon Echo may contain valuable evidence. James Andrew Bates is charged with first-degree murder related to the death of a friend who had been drinking at his house before being found dead in a hot tub on November 22, 2015. The death was ruled a homicide and authorities found evidence of a struggle and clean-up of the crime scene. Bates has denied any involvement in the death.
Comment: See also: The walls have Orwellian ears: Warrant granted for Amazon Echo recordings