Amazon Echo users will lose the ability to prevent their voice recordings from being stored in the cloud starting March 28, the company confirmed, according to a report by Ars Technica.
The change comes as part of the company’s launch of Alexa+, a generative AI-powered version of its virtual assistant. With that rollout, Amazon will discontinue the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” option—an existing privacy setting that allowed users to stop their voice interactions from being saved to Amazon’s cloud storage.
“As we continue to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature,” Amazon stated in an email to users.
The company said the setting was rarely used—fewer than 0.03% of Echo users opted into it—according to a statement provided to the New York Post.
Amazon emphasized that privacy remains a core priority. “The Alexa experience is designed to protect our customers’ privacy and keep their data secure, and that’s not changing,” the spokesperson said. “We’re focusing on the privacy tools and controls that our customers use most and work well with generative AI experiences that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud.”
Despite Amazon’s reassurances, some users have expressed frustration. In Reddit threads discussing the change, Echo owners voiced concerns about losing a layer of control over their data, even if they don’t plan to use the new AI tools.
“I have zero interest in the enhanced Alexa,” one user wrote. “Not offering the chance to opt out of this change… shows the lack of consideration on the part [of] this company for my privacy, which apparently was somewhat of an illusion all along.”
The introduction of Alexa Voice ID—an AI feature that allows devices to recognize individual speakers—is also tied to this shift. Users who want to enable voice recognition will not be able to choose the “Don’t save recordings” setting, which will no longer be supported alongside Alexa+.
Privacy experts have raised broader concerns about how much user data smart speakers collect and where it ends up. In 2023, Amazon paid $25 million to settle allegations it had violated a federal children’s privacy law by retaining voice recordings and location data of minors for years.
Although many users enjoy the convenience Alexa provides—such as playing music, setting timers, reading the news, and managing smart home devices—the growing reliance on AI has increased unease about how voice data is stored and used.
One Reddit commenter warned of the risks of future data breaches. “Imagine the next time there is a data breach and someone has access to all your voice recordings… It’ll make those fake ‘Mom and Dad, I’ve been arrested’ scams using a person’s real voice look like child’s play,” they wrote.
Alexa+ will be free for Amazon Prime members and cost $19.99 per month for non-members, the company said in February.
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