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Does Amazon Echo spend your money without asking? Voice command gadget ‘follows commands heard on TV'
Amazon Echo devices were a top Christmas gift in Christmas 2016 – but it appears they may be costing owners money without them even realising.
The gadget’s onboard virtual assistant, Alexa, responds to voice commands like playing music, telling you the weather and traffic reports.
It also is able to purchase items on Amazon by telling Alexa what you would like to order, with your purchase charged straight to your account and the item being sent to your home.
However, it is a feature that has seemingly cost users money without their knowledge.
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A television news report was telling the story of six-year-old girl Brooke Neitzel, who had unknowingly ordered a £140 dollhouse and four pounds of cookies to her home in Dallas, Texas, when she asked Echo: “Can you play dollhouse with me and get me a dollhouse?”
However, it seems that people watching the report with Amazon Echoes of their own were also charged for the KidKraft Sparkle mansion dollhouse when it overheard TV Anchor Jim Patton saying: “I love the little girl saying ‘Alexa ordered me a dollhouse’.”
The Amazon Echo has voice-command shopping built in by default and does not recognise specific voices so unless it is turned off, it can record commands whenever it hears the Alexa name.
Stephen Cobb, a senior security researcher with ESET North America, told CW6 TV station in San Diego: “These devices don’t recognise your specific voice and so then we have the situations where you have a guest staying or you have a child who is talking and accidentally order something because the device isn’t aware that it’s a child versus a parent.”
Experts advise adding a security code for purchasing to stop any accidental orders.
Commenting on the apparent rogue orders, an Amazon spokesman told Yahoo News UK: “You must ask Alexa to order a product and then confirm the purchase with a ‘yes’ response to purchase via voice.
“If you asked Alexa to order something on accident, simply say ‘no’ when asked to confirm.
“You can also manage your shopping settings in the Alexa app, such as turning off voice purchasing or requiring a confirmation code before every order.”
He added: “Additionally, orders you place for physical products are eligible for free returns.”
Top pic: Rex
