Amazon’s new Echo device has reignited the debate about data privacy. I’ll try and be careful how I word this post. The purpose is not to put you off buying one of these devices, instead to highlight the ongoing debate about Data Science.
Firstly What Is It?
Amazon have released a device called Echo. Google are expected to release a similar device soon called Google Now.
Amazon’s Echo is a device about the same size and shape as a can of beer. It sits in your home listening for commands and requests such as play a type of music, a radio station, read the weather forecast or read the latest news headlines. It can provide recipes, source information in real time on the internet, even add items to your shopping cart of things that you need. It can do many things and the advert clips may convince you that your life would be easier with one of these.
Sounds Great – So What’s The Issue?
Imagine that if you had a robot that lived in your kitchen that was always listening to conversations, and feeding it as text online to the cloud to build an archived database. You have access to only part of this database if you want to clear out conversation history. The data is stored and gradually used to build a very accurate digital profile of you and your family.
Now imagine if the world’s biggest retailer had produced and sold you this robot. A retailer that relies heavily on data science for results.
Is This Ongoing Debate Just Paranoia?
You decide. Data Science is big, big business. We read about once massive, online presences such as Yahoo struggling to keep up with the likes of Google. This is all down to data science and user profiling. Google are able to build a much clearer detailed profile of you through smartphone, tablet and computer usage.
I am still asked occasionally by customers how they can stop their computer storing cookies. Those days are long gone. The fact that certain UK websites have to ask you to accept their cookie policy before continuing, just to comply with outdated law is ridiculous. Nowadays if you search for something on your work laptop in Glasgow, and later switch on your personal iPad at home in Ayrshire, the adverts you see are still aimed specifically at you. Things that you searched for earlier will show up.
Is this an infringement on your privacy?
When you opt in to either providing a running commentary of your life on Facebook or buy a voice recognition listening device from the biggest retailer on the planet, you have opted in.
If You Get One – Put It To The Test
Put it to the test. If you are getting any of these devices, run it for a while. Once you’ve had it a few weeks / months and it has begun profiling you, drop some randoms into conversation. Something that you have no intention of typing into a search engine. Perhaps in the middle of January, mention in a private conversation that you really need to buy some new “BBQ equipment”. Or mention in a private conversation (in your kitchen in January) that you are “going to buy some new sunglasses”.
Notice the pattern of advert banners on websites and emails that you receive – target these keywords?
AI
Having said all of the above, I do like gadgets, and these do look like pretty cool gadgets. Undecided.