Amazon has revised its Alexa privacy agreement effective today, March 28, 2025, as part of the rollout of Alexa Plus, an AI-powered upgrade to the voice assistant. The update eliminates the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” option previously available on select Echo devices, including the Echo Dot (4th Gen), Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15, for U.S. users with devices set to English. This feature allowed voice commands to be processed locally on the device, preventing them from being sent to Amazon’s cloud servers.
As of today, all Alexa voice recordings—any command following the wake word—will be transmitted to Amazon’s cloud for processing. Amazon states this change is necessary to support Alexa Plus’s generative AI capabilities, which require greater processing power than local devices can provide. For users who had the “Do Not Send” setting enabled, their devices will now default to the “Do Not Save Voice Recordings” option. Under this setting, recordings are sent to the cloud for processing but deleted afterward. However, opting not to save recordings disables Alexa’s Voice ID feature, which identifies individual users for personalized responses such as calendar access or music preferences. Users who wish to use Voice ID must allow Amazon to store their recordings, with an option to set auto-deletion after a few months.
Amazon asserts that all voice data is encrypted during transmission and that their cloud infrastructure is secure. However, the company has faced scrutiny over Alexa privacy in the past, including a 2023 settlement where Amazon paid $25 million for indefinitely storing children’s voice recordings in violation of privacy laws. Additionally, reports have surfaced of Amazon employees accessing user recordings, raising concerns about data security.
The “Do Not Send” feature was used by less than 0.03% of Alexa users, according to Amazon. The company is directing users to the Alexa Privacy dashboard to manage their data settings. This update applies to all Alexa-enabled devices, regardless of whether users opt into the Alexa Plus subscription, which costs $19.99 per month or is free for Amazon Prime members. Users concerned about privacy can adjust settings or refrain from using Alexa during sensitive conversations.
Why Amazon Is Doing This
Amazon is removing the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” option for Alexa to support the rollout of Alexa Plus, an AI-powered upgrade requiring cloud processing for its generative AI features, like Voice ID. This change standardizes processing across devices, boosts Alexa Plus adoption (a $19.99/month subscription or free for Prime members), and allows Amazon to collect more data to improve its AI, prioritizing technical and business goals over the privacy feature used by less than 0.03% of users.
Reproduced with permission. Original here: If you have an Amazon Echo or Alexa, read this now – Self Reliance Central
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