I fail to see how it's the car manufacturer's fault the airbags didn't go off in the crash. Parents should know cars are dangerous and shouldn't own them.
The idea that every gadget, or even most should be child-safe is silly. Alexa is an internet connect device at the end of the day and should be treated as such by parents. However, where possible companies should also try to avoid situations where they're causing unnecessary harm and if needed government should step in to regulate to protect consumers.
In this case, it seems right that people are flagging this up and are unhappy, but I do tend to agree with the sentiment that kids probably shouldn't be using Alexa anyway and that the risk here isn't really comparable to car safety where regulation absolutely makes sense.
On a personal note I honestly hate how often health and safety regulation gets in the way of what would be cool products and experiences these days, but this is the natural result of people refusing to take personal responsibility. It's likely this feature (which I'm guessing doesn't do this in 99.9% of cases) will now just be removed because it can't be implemented with 100% safety.
>>The idea that every gadget, or even most should be child-safe is silly.
NONSENSE
If any consumer product is sold into the home, there should, at least in any modern society, be a presumption that it is safe.
>>On a personal note I honestly hate how often health and safety regulation gets in the way of what would be cool products and experiences these days
So effing work harder to make it safe before you make the product, or sell it only into professional/industrial settings; in those settings, you can require specific training/certification/etc. And even in those settings they require reasonable safety devices.
The short answer is that in a modern society, you do not have a right to MAKE YOUR PROFITS by selling inherently dangerous objects to consumers.
Ordinary consumers should be able to expect that they do not need special expertise to keep from losing a limb or life.
The idea that every gadget, or even most should be child-safe is silly. Alexa is an internet connect device at the end of the day and should be treated as such by parents. However, where possible companies should also try to avoid situations where they're causing unnecessary harm and if needed government should step in to regulate to protect consumers.
In this case, it seems right that people are flagging this up and are unhappy, but I do tend to agree with the sentiment that kids probably shouldn't be using Alexa anyway and that the risk here isn't really comparable to car safety where regulation absolutely makes sense.
On a personal note I honestly hate how often health and safety regulation gets in the way of what would be cool products and experiences these days, but this is the natural result of people refusing to take personal responsibility. It's likely this feature (which I'm guessing doesn't do this in 99.9% of cases) will now just be removed because it can't be implemented with 100% safety.