[jonjojr]

"My husband and I would joke and say I'd bet these devices are listening to what we're saying,"

Think about this statement for a sec. Of course is listening to you. It has to listen to you because it needs to be able to respond to "Alexa". So yes, this is always listening.

Now, once you come to terms with that, do you feel comfortable having a technology with access to the internet, location, habits, account, contacts, email, phone, CC information etc etc, to be actively listening to your most intimate private conversations?

It does not take a 5 year old two seconds to figure this out.

[wilsonnb]

The problem with this logic is that it applies to phones, tablets, and laptops as well.

There isn't much additional risk from having an Echo or a Google Home if you already keep a smartphone within 10 feet of you at all times, which most of the people who are buying these devices do.

[pessimizer]

Why is that a problem?

[superkuh]

People make the same jokes about cell phones and location tracking. But it seems like with these invasions of privacy they're always unable to make the leap from joking about it to the reality itself.