MIAMI – If you thought you were safe from Alexa eavesdropping on a conversation because you never mentioned her name, think again.
Amazon has filed a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that will allow the device to detect when it's being given a command even when the name "Alexa" is spoken at the end of the sentence.
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Many are concerned the move means the virtual assistant devices will always be listening and recording, then backtrack if the "wake word" is spoken.
The Daily Mail reports the patent states conversations will be recorded for up to 30 seconds and then supposedly wiped from the drive if word "Alexa" is not spoken.
Apple and Google demand the words "Hey Siri" or "Hey Google" to be spoken before the devices begin to listen in on a conversation.
The report claims Amazon has yet to decide whether to move forward with the patent if it is cleared.