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Amazon's Echo device has found its way into over five million homes since going on sale in 2014, according to a report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. While Echo might make it easier to order household supplies or answer everyday questions, the technology also raises some real concerns.A new white paper at the Marrone Law Firm delves into what many see as a significant Privacy Issue with Echo by Amazon. Since Echo is always listening, the conversations it captures could be of interest to police and other third parties, as a recent criminal case in Bentonville, Arkansas has made clear. The new white paper untangles the complex body of law surrounding Echo Privacy Issues in ways that readers will find easy to understand. With firm founder Joseph Marrone widely recognized as a leading authority on the ways that technology impacts civil rights and criminal law, the new Marrone Law Firm white paper on Amazon's Echo comes from an especially informed place.
"Amazon has a real hit on its hands with its Echo, and many people truly appreciate the things this advanced device can do," said white paper author Joseph Marrone, "At the same time, there has been far too little discussion about the privacy issues that the Echo can create. The privacy-related legal environment that the Echo fits into is a lot more complex than many people realize or appreciate. We hope with our new white paper to help readers become more informed and to provoke some much-needed debate about how devices of these kinds will best mesh with our societal expectations regarding privacy and other important rights. The recent case in Bentonville is likely to be only the first of many to come, so getting the conversation started has never been more important."
Amazon's Echo "smart speaker" device is a cylinder about ten inches tall equipped with seven integrated microphones. Responding to voice commands that are sent to Amazon's remote servers for processing, Echo is capable of everything from managing personal schedules to playing music on demand and controlling home automation equipment.
While millions of people find Echo useful and worth its price, a growing number of experts have identified privacy-related issues with the way that the device captures and transmits so many of the sounds, including human speech, it picks up. Such concerns have been given new life in recent weeks with widespread reporting about a homicide case in Arkansas that has seen police successfully retrieving voice recordings kept locally on an Echo and also trying to force Amazon to hand over data stored on its own servers.
The new Marrone Law Firm white paper looks into the complicated legal history surrounding the subject of privacy, as well as how the various decisions and current laws could impact owners of the device. Marrone Law Firm founder Joe Marrone regularly weighs in on television and elsewhere on subjects at the intersection of technology and the law. The new Amazon's Echo privacy white paper will bring readers up to speed with all the issues quickly, enabling more informed, better-grounded discussion of the subject.
About Marrone Law Firm:
The talented trial lawyers of the Marrone Law Firm deliver the best in legal advocacy and advice, whether for personal injury and medical malpractice or criminal and real estate law matters.
Contact Info:
Name: Brigette Lutz
Email: Send Email
Organization: Marrone Law Firm
Address: 200 South Broad Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215-732-6700
Website: http://www.marronelawfirm.com/privacy-issue-echo-amazon/
Release ID: 161130