May 30, 2018 The Skanner Page 9
News
After Amazon Echo Misfire, Ways to
Protect Your Own Privacy
By Barbara Ortutay and
Anick Jesdanun
AP Technology Writers
NEW YORK (AP) — Reve-
lations that an Amazon Echo
smart speaker inadvertently
sent a family’s private con-
versation to an acquaintance
highlights some unexpected
risks of new voice-enabled
technologies.
According to Amazon, the
fault was an “unlikely” series
of inadvertent vocal cues that
triggered the speaker, caused
it to begin recording and then
led it to interpret subsequent
conversation as a “send mes-
sage” request.
There’s no way to eliminate
these sorts of privacy risks
short of unplugging entirely.
But you can minimize the odds
of unpleasant privacy surpris-
es with these tips:
KILL THE MIC:
Most smart speakers have a
physical button to disable the
microphone, so a private con-
versation can’t be recorded to
begin with. You can hit that
when you’re having sensitive
conversations. The button on
the Echo will turn red; other
devices have similar cues. It
doesn’t make sense to keep the
mic disabled throughout the
day, though. If the Echo can’t
hear you, it won’t be able to
order you more toilet paper or
play smooth jazz.
LIMIT THE MIC
Disabling the microphone
isn’t practical on a smart-
phone, but you can limit what
apps have access to it. Go to the
settings and turn off mic access
to all but essential apps such
as voice recorders or video
conferencing. Netflix doesn’t
really need voice access; you
can simply type the name of
the show you’re searching for.
“
Facebook CEO
Mark Zucker-
berg famously
puts a piece
of tape over
his laptop’s
camera to pre-
vent spying if
anyone were
to hack his
device
ABOUT THAT CAMERA:
Facebook CEO Mark Zucker-
berg famously puts a piece of
tape over his laptop’s camera
to prevent spying if anyone
were to hack his device. Buy
yourself a roll. Or use bandag-
es. If you have a home-securi-
ty camera that’s connected to
the internet, turn the camera
to the wall when you’re home.
Just remember to turn it back
before you leave, or you defeat
the point of having a security
camera.
BLOCK THE SIGNALS
For smartphones and other
gadgets you carry with you, a
“Faraday bag” that blocks elec-
tromagnetic waves can help
prevent unwanted spying. The
good ones will block cellular
and other signals, meaning
privacy-compromising infor-
mation such as your location
won’t leak out either. Just re-
member, your phone won’t get
any calls while it’s in the bag —
that’s the whole point.
BE INFORMED
Apple, Samsung and other
tech companies have worked
over the years to ensure that
their products work “out of the
box,” without users having to
pore through lengthy manuals
and operating instructions.
The downside is that users are
often unaware of all the things
their gadgets can do, good or
bad. Checking reputable on-
line reviews, how-to guides
and even instructional videos
will help you get the most out
of new technologies. They’ll
also tell you about any known
glitches and risks.
Of course, the safest ap-
proach is not to buy a new gad-
get in the first place. That might
not be practical for smart-
phones these days, but do you
really need a smart speaker or
a television set that’s connect-
ed to the internet? (As it turns
out, it’s actually difficult to buy
a TV without “smart” capabili-
ties these days, but nothing
says you have to connect it at
home.)
From toothbrushes to slow
cookers to toys, if companies
can dream it up, it’s out there.
Companies often release smart
gadgets without thinking
through the risks and ensur-
ing their security. This makes
AP PHOTO/ELAINE THOMPSON, FILE
Companies often release ‘smart’ devices without considering
the risks
In this Sept. 27, 2017, file photo, Amazon Echo Plus, center, and other Echo devices
sit on display during an event announcing several new Amazon products by the
company in Seattle. Amazon says an “unlikely” string of events prompted its Echo
personal assistant device to record a Portland, Ore., family’s private conversation
and then send the recording to an acquaintance in Seattle
them easy targets for mali-
cious hackers. This is especial-
ly true with manufacturers
that aren’t well known or that
specialize in toys and other
non-tech businesses.
In the Time it Takes to Tweet,
Roseanne Barr Loses Her Job
NEW YORK (AP) — In the
time it took to compose a
53-character tweet, Roseanne
Barr went from a hero that
ABC was banking upon to un-
employed.
The network canceled its hit
reboot of “Roseanne” Tuesday
after Barr’s racist tweet that
referred to Valerie Jarrett, an
adviser to former President
Barack Obama, as a cross be-
tween the Muslim Brother-
hood and the “Planet of the
Apes.” Her agent dropped
her, and other services pulled
“Roseanne” reruns.
The swift developments
rendered President Donald
Trump at least temporarily
mum.
Trump, who reveled in the
success of “Roseanne” after
Barr’s character in the show
came out as a supporter of
his presidency, made no men-
tion of the firing in a cam-
paign-style rally in Tennes-
see on Tuesday evening.
“We have a lot bigger things
going on in the country right
now, certainly, that the pres-
ident is spending his time
on,” said White House Press
Secretary Sarah Huckabee
Sanders.
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