Yes, but it’s complicated.
Smart speakers constantly listen for wake words (“Alexa,” “Hey Google”). After hearing it, they record and send audio to company servers.
What gets recorded:
- Everything after the wake word
- Sometimes conversations before (accidental triggers)
- Background noise and other voices
The problems:
- Human contractors review recordings
- Accidental activations happen constantly
- Data kept indefinitely unless you delete it
What you can do:
- Use the physical mute button
- Delete voice history in app settings
- Disable voice recording storage
- Opt out of human review
- Unplug when not using
You can’t have a voice assistant that doesn’t listen. Decide if the convenience is worth it.