this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2023
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119
Do our phones listen to our conversations? The answer is complicated. (english.elpais.com)
submitted 1 year ago by boem@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
44 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Our mobile devices listen to and collect a significant amount of data on us, even without using our microphones.

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[–] hardypart@feddit.de 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

a phone with a voice assistant enabled has to listen all the time

Yes, but this doesn't happen online. Your voice is not constantly being sent to Amazon or Google servers for activating the voice assistant. It's an offline feature that only reacts to the specific word. That's also the reason why you can't change the activation word.

[–] p03locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That’s also the reason why you can’t change the activation word.

No, the reason why you can't change the activation word is because each one is tied to a recognizable and highly marketable identity. Amazon does not want you to change the name of Alexa because they want you to repeat their marketing brand over and over and over again.

[–] jiji@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Funnily enough, you can change the Alexa wake word (edit: on certain devices, I can change it on my Show but not my Tap). It can be “Echo”, “Amazon”, “Computer” and for some reason “Ziggy” (someone is a big fan of Bowie or Sunday morning cartoons?)

I know you can’t change Siri, I’m not sure about Google but I assume that can’t be changed either.

[–] p03locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Echo is another Amazon brand word, and Amazon, of course. Computer is so common of a word that nobody would ever want to change it to that.

Also, Ziggy was the computer on Quantum Leap.

[–] jiji@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thanks for solving the “Ziggy” one for me! And I agree I feel like “Computer” was for elderly grandmas.

[–] aaaa@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

"Computer" is most certainly meant for Star Trek fans. But yeah, it's a pretty impractical choice

[–] zerosignal@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Google used to respond to "OK Jarvis" and maybe a couple other things back when it was new. I haven't tried it in a long time to see if it works anymore though.