Why am I not surprised?

I don't have an Alexa. 

Not that it couldn't happen through my TV. After all, I use the voice option on the remote all the time. Oh, I know my regular channels by heart - 832 HGTV, 851 NESN (Red Sox), 901 MSNBC. But I'm now making my way through the 72 episodes of Billions, and when I want to catch an hour or two of this amazingly idiotic but completely fascinating and compelling series about a corrupt, evil, narcissistic hedgie and his opposite number: a corrupt, evil, narcissistic US Attorney/NY AG, I just pick up my remote, press the microphone and bark Billions. 

And not that Google doesn't have very search I've ever made squirreled away in some massive database. So they know not only what symptoms I've googled at 3 a.m., they also know that I've wondered, also at 3 a.m., what Gabby Hayes' first name was (George). Talk about BIG DATA.

And not that Amazon doesn't have a record at every last thing I've ordered, from the cheapest of the cheap (a laundry pen; sorry, but I felt the need for some reason and they didn't have them at the hardware store), to the priciest item I ever bought there (which I believe is the Breville toaster oven that just replaced the old KitchenAid that would no longer toast; day-um, should I have sprung for the one that does air frying, too???).

But I've always been wary about having an Alexa in my home, spying on me.

Not that Alexa is exactly spying on folks. Not yet, anyway. (Not that we know of. But "she" does perk up "her" ears when "she" hears your trigger or wake word. Which for most people is probably Alexa.)

But Alexa is paying attention to what you're asking about or requesting - "Who won the 1934 World Series?" "When did Natalie Wood die?" "Play 'Amarillo by Morning.'" "Order a bottle of Oribe shampoo for gray hair" - and then:

A report released last week contends that Amazon uses voice data from its Echo devices to serve targeted ads on its own platforms and the web. The report, produced by researchers affiliated with the University of Washington, UC Davis, UC Irvine, and Northeastern University, said the ways Amazon does this is inconsistent with its privacy policies. (Source: The Verge)

And Amazon, in its infinite generosity, is sharing the data with dozens of advertising partners.

That data is then used to “infer user interests” and “serve targeted ads on-platform (Echo devices) as well as off-platform (web).” It also concludes that this type of data is in hot demand, leading to “30X higher ad bids from advertisers.”

Why am I not surprised?

And, indeed, why should this be any different than their use of data on items I've searched Amazon on to target me, not to mention how is this different than all the ads that get algorithm'd my way based on non-Amazon purchases. 

I actually find some of the targeted ads ludicrous. Really and truly, am I apt to order Bombas socks a couple of hours after I order - wait for it - Bombas socks?

Anyway, Amazon has a point when they say that using Alexa requests to target ads ain't all that different than using a keyed in Amazon purchase to target ads, or make suggestions (people who ordered this book also ordered). 

And Amazon is pushing back on the report, suggesting that the research is flawed. 

Still, there's something about being targeted based on what you're saying to Alexa. And that something is creepy.

You can use privacy controls to turn this fabulous Alexa feature off. I'll have to remember that if I break both of my wrists and can no longer type my queries in. 

Somedays, I just want my privacy back.