Be ye aware, matey! Yer clever assistant eavesdrops, but does that affect the bountiful ads ye lay yer eyes on?
2023-11-12
Arrr, ye may 'ave a fancy Alexa or Siri eavesdroppin' on yer conversations, but be ye smart assistants truly learnin'? Tech expert Kim Komando be spillin' the beans on how these contraptions gather intel, matey!
In the language of a 17th-century pirate, me hearties, let's take a look at how ye online activities be used by companies to create profiles of ye very selves.Every like, click, and hobby ye engage in be a data point that be collected by these scurvy companies. And what about ye conversations with Alexa or Siri, me mateys? How be they using that data, ye ask?
Well, me crew, according to me sources, these companies be using ye conversations to create profiles of ye. They be asking ye questions to gather key information about ye, like if ye be a renter or a homeowner, and they be using this info to target their ads.
But fear not, me landlubbers! Not all of these assistants be as nosy as ye might think. Siri, for example, be the least gossipy of them all. It doesn't use ye interactions to build profiles or change answers.
On the other hand, Google be a hit or miss. It sometimes gets things wrong, like mistaking a family for a single person. As for Alexa, it be more interested in ye shopping habits than in what ye be saying to it.
So, me hearties, what does all this mean? It means ye need to be mindful of what ye be saying to these digital assistants, as they be using ye words to create profiles and serve targeted ads. And if ye be concerned about ye privacy, Siri be the best bet for ye.
But don't ye fret, me mateys! There be ways to check what these companies know about ye and take control of ye privacy. Google makes it easy to see what it knows about ye, and with Amazon, ye can submit a request to get ye information, although it might take some time.
So, me crew, be smart about what ye share with these digital scallywags, and keep ye tech-know going. Listen to me podcast, "Kim Komando Today," for all the latest tech news and tips.