Amazon says Alexa doesn’t eavesdrop, but some skeptics wonder

Wynn Resorts Ltd. recently announced it is placing an Amazon Echo in every Las Vegas guest room. How many visitors know that their requests could be stored and retrieved, not by the hotel, but by Amazon?

Do users know about the court case in Arkansas where prosecutors want Amazon to turn over the recordings of an Echo owner, a suspect in a murder case?

Sensing my suspicious nature, Wynn Resorts spokesman Michael Weaver invited me to test the Echo at a Wynn Las Vegas villa suite. The devices are in 26 villas so far, and ultimately will be in all the rooms at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore. They will be the first two hotels in the world to offer the Echo as a personal assistant.

Steve Wynn had the idea to put artificial intelligence in guest rooms. He received one for his office about six months ago and found it helpful.

There are six basic commands the Echo performs once the word “Alexa” activates it. The most frequent command is, “Alexa, turn on the TV.” Then the Echo can find the channel you want, if you know the call letters. The Echo can turn room lights on and off, open or close drapes, set an alarm timer or turn it off and set the room temperature.

So far, the biggest customer complaint is that the Echo doesn’t play music, but the hotel-casino is working to develop a playlist.

Weaver said guest privacy is protected because commands don’t go to the hotel’s servers, and Echo isn’t connected to a guest’s account. For instance, a guest can’t make a dinner reservation through Echo because it isn’t connected to the hotel.

“Wynn does not record or archive guest information from Amazon Echo,” Weaver said.

Using Echo is a choice. Visitors can turn it off or unplug it if they worry they are being overheard by their in-room assistant.

“We’ve not had anyone say, ‘Remove it or unplug it,’” Weaver said. “People think it’s fun.”

But commands go to Amazon’s cloud, and that’s where some people worry.

The case in Arkansas remains unresolved, but it began when James Andrew Bates was charged with murdering his friend Victor Collins.

Amazon has refused to turn over information about what may have been said. The information might have been deleted already. It’s unclear how long the information is retained.

Amazon insists Echo listens only for the awake word and the commands.

But why, then, has the company refused to provide information to Arkansas authorities?

“Amazon will not release customer information without a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us. Amazon objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands,” a spokeswoman wrote.

I’m no longer so worried about privacy in Wynn’s hotels, but plenty of other people have concerns.

Journalist Rory Carroll tried one and said he and his wife talked about having children. Shortly afterward, his Amazon Kindle reader showed an ad for diapers.

Coincidence or eavesdropping?

Jane Ann Morrison’s column runs Thursdays. Leave messages for her at 702-383-0275 or email jmorrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @janeannmorrison on Twitter.