BIRMINGHAM,
AL (WBRC) -
These
are some of the most popular Christmas tech gadgets - digital assistants like
Google Home or Amazon Echo.
But
a consumer watchdog warns buyers to be wary.
"A patent review for these
home helpers shows that they are far from there to help you - they are there to
follow you, monitor you, and sell you," said James Court, president of
Consumer Watchdog.
He
says that devices can listen to your conversations even if you do not use
keywords to activate them.
"Google and Amazon and other
companies make their money by having more information about us and our
families, and when they do, they then sell access to advertisers," says
Court.
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We
contacted both Google and Amazon regarding the claims.
In
a statement, Google said, "Consumer Watchdog claims are unfounded."
All devices provided with the Google Assistant are designed with user privacy
in mind
"They listen when you flush,
when your children are silent, and when your children are screaming," said
the court.
According
to the group, the goal is to ensure that parent companies can earn money.
Google
and Amazon as well as other companies make their money by having more
information about us and our families. And when they do, they then sell access
to advertisers, "says Court.
We
contacted both Google and Amazon regarding the claims.
In
a statement, Google said: "Consumer Watchdog claims are unfounded: all
devices provided with the Google Assistant are designed taking into account the
privacy of users."
An
Amazon spokesperson said, "We take privacy seriously and we have built
multiple layers of privacy in Echo devices, but we do not use customer voice
recordings for targeted advertising."
But
Consumer Watchdog maintains their claims. "It's an invasion robbery at
home, it's not a holiday gift."
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