Starting March 28, 2025, Amazon will remove the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” option from Echo devices, forcing all Alexa voice commands to be processed in the cloud with no opt-out.
This change is tied to the rollout of Alexa+, a new AI-powered subscription assistant requiring more computational power than local devices can provide.
While Amazon claims this shift enhances Alexa’s capabilities, it raises major privacy concerns, especially given Amazon’s past issues with mishandling voice recordings, FTC fines for retaining children’s data, and reports of employees reviewing user interactions.
Critics argue this move forces users to trade privacy for AI upgrades, with no alternative but to mute their devices or switch platforms.
This shift is part of Amazon’s broader strategy to monetize Alexa, as the company looks to offset financial losses from its voice assistant division. While Alexa+ introduces features like Voice ID, which personalizes responses based on the speaker, it requires storing voice data in the cloud.
But this move’s got a lot of folks scratching their heads, and some downright worried.
Let’s unpack what’s happening, why it matters, and what it could mean for you.
If you’ve got an Echo, like the Echo Dot or Echo Show, you might’ve had a setting called “Do Not Send Voice Recordings.”
It was a handy little option on newer models that let Alexa process your commands right there on the device, no cloud trip required. That meant your “Alexa, turn off the lights” didn’t have to leave your home.
But in an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that feature’s toast as of March 28. From then on, every Echo will send your voice recordings to Amazon’s cloud for processing, no exceptions.
Why the switch? Amazon’s betting big on Alexa+, a souped-up version of its assistant that needs the cloud’s heavy-duty computing power to deliver fancy new AI tricks. Think better voice recognition, personalized responses, and maybe even some sci-fi-level conversational skills.
The catch? That power doesn’t fit on your little Echo speaker, so off to the cloud it goes. Amazon’s email put it plainly: “As we continue to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature.”
Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, so my voice goes to the cloud, what’s the fuss?” Fair question.
For a lot of people, the idea of a tech giant like Amazon collecting every “Alexa, what’s the weather?” or “Alexa, order more dog food” feels a bit creepy. It’s not just about convenience anymore, it’s about who’s listening.
And Amazon’s track record doesn’t exactly inspire warm fuzzies.
Back in 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) slapped Amazon with a $25 million fine after finding out the company kept kids’ Alexa recordings forever, even when parents asked to delete them.
That’s not a typo: forever. The FTC said Amazon broke children’s privacy laws by hanging onto those files, and it wasn’t until the feds stepped in that things changed.
Then there’s the 2019 bombshell from Bloomberg: Amazon had employees listening to up to 1,000 Alexa clips a day, sometimes overhearing private moments like arguments or kids playing. Amazon said it was just to train Alexa to understand us better, but it still left a sour taste.
And it’s not just theoretical worries. Alexa recordings have popped up in court cases, like a 2018 murder trial in Arkansas where police used Echo data as evidence.
Plus, in 2023, Amazon settled another FTC case over claims that Ring camera employees peeked at customers’ private videos. That’s a different device, sure, but it’s all under the Amazon umbrella, and it’s got people wondering: can we really trust them with our voices?
The trade-off: Cool features vs. privacy
So, what’s Amazon offering in return for your voice data? Alexa+ is the star of the show, and one of its big selling points is something called Voice ID. It’s a feature that lets Alexa figure out who’s talking say, you versus your spouse, so it can tailor responses.
Maybe it pulls up your calendar but not hers, or plays your rock playlist instead of her jazz. Sounds neat, right?
Voice ID needs your recordings stored in the cloud to work. If you tell Amazon “don’t save my recordings,” Voice ID breaks. You’re stuck with a dumber Alexa, even on a device you already paid for.
Amazon’s trying to reassure us. Their email says recordings are “encrypted in transit” (tech-speak for “locked up tight while traveling”) and that they’ll delete them after processing unless you say otherwise.
You can also tweak settings in the Alexa Privacy dashboard, like deleting recordings or turning off Voice ID altogether. But privacy experts aren’t sold. “Encryption’s great, but it doesn’t stop Amazon from holding the keys,” says a data privacy researcher at Stanford University.
“And once it’s in the cloud, it’s out of your hands. Past scandals show they haven’t always been careful with that power.”
A 2022 Pew Research survey found 41% of Americans are “very concerned” about how smart speakers handle their data. That’s nearly half of us feeling uneasy—and that was before this change.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s sold over 500 million Echo devices worldwide since 2014, according to industry estimates from Statista. That’s a lot of voices potentially heading to the cloud.
Research from Consumer Reports in 2023 also showed that 72% of smart speaker users didn’t realize companies could keep their recordings indefinitely unless they opted out, something Amazon didn’t make super clear until 2019, five years after Echo launched.
Google’s Assistant and Apple’s Siri also lean on the cloud for their brainiest features, though Apple’s been pushing more on-device processing lately (think Siri handling simple tasks without phoning home).
So, should you trust Amazon with your voice? It’s your call, but here’s the deal: starting March 28, you won’t have much choice unless you ditch your Echo. You can mute it, sure, but then it’s just an expensive paperweight.
Alternatives like Google Nest or Apple HomePod exist, but they’ve got their own cloud quirks. For now, Amazon’s banking on us loving Alexa+ enough to overlook the privacy hit.
Whether that gamble pays off, or sparks a backlash, could shape the future of smart homes.
Keep an eye on this one; it’s far from over.
