Is Alexa Spying on You?

In a class action lawsuit filed last week, healthcare workers alleged that their Amazon Alexa-enabled devices may have recorded their conversations – including potentially protected information - without their intent.

In a storyline that could be ripped right out of Dave Egger's bestselling dystopian novel "The Circle", four plaintiffs raise concerns that Alexa may have captured sensitive information.  

The healthcare workers, who include a substance abuse counsellor and a healthcare customer service representative, say they work with HIPAA-protected information, while others say they have private conversations with patients. All say they either stopped using Alexa devices or purchased newer models with a mute function out of concern that their conversations may be unintentionally recorded, stored and listened to.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the Western District of Washington federal court, alleges "Amazon’s conduct in surreptitiously recording consumers has violated federal and state wiretapping, privacy, and consumer protection laws."