Amazon Echo Alternatives for Better Privacy Choices

Amazon recently announced that Alexa users will no longer have the option to process requests locally, resulting in voice recordings being stored on Amazon’s servers. This news may not sit well with many users, but there are alternative options available with better privacy settings.

Apple’s HomePod line of smart devices operates similarly to Amazon Echo, allowing you to ask questions and receive answers from Siri. While some requests are processed on-device, others are sent to Apple’s servers with a visual indicator to distinguish between the two. Although fully local processing isn’t an option, Apple assures that audio data is not stored unless specifically opted into, offering a level of privacy protection.

On the other hand, Google Nest devices provide users with control over what is saved to their Google account, including voice activity. By default, Google does not store audio recordings on its servers, and there are options for auto-deletion in their privacy suite. While security risks are inherent with voice-based smart home devices, both Apple and Google offer better privacy protection in comparison to Amazon when it comes to storing audio requests against users’ preferences.