Just how much do our devices hear?

(Photo: Emily Zanott)

By: Natalia Zreliak, Digital Editor
 

“Hey Siri, are you always listening?”

               Voice technology has made our lives easier, no longer do you need to type your silly questions instead you can just ask Siri, Alexa, Cortana, or Google out loud. Virtual assistants are extremely popular right now but just how much are they hearing and what happens to the audio files they gather?

               The Amazon Echo keeps an audio recording of all voice commands that have been given to Alexa, the digital assistant. Amazon also reports that there is a small second of audio before the wake-up call is issued to the Amazon Echo. You can, however, check and delete your Amazon Echo recordings but you might be shocked just how much was heard.

               Google just recently launched a new My Account section that gives users the ability to delete recordings or tell the assistant to stop recording users voices altogether. This seems to be a step in the right direction but time will tell. For now, it is important for users to be aware of their digital assistants and any apps that may have access to your microphone.

Facebook seeking space in Shanghai despite ban

(Photo: Aly Song/Reuters)

A forbidden love story - the citizens of China and the social media monster may still have a chance to be together despite the government’s decade-long ban on the website.

For years, Mark Zuckerberg has been pushing to lift the ban in China and according to two anonymous Facebook associates, the company has been looking for office space in Shanghai. Though the Chinese government has been resistant to Facebook’s tireless attempts, a quick google search reveals endless results for “How to access Facebook in China”, leading most to believe that citizens are already accessing the site under the radar.

If the company gets office space in Shanghai, it will be used by employees developing a hardware called Building 8. An office in Shanghai would allow more support for Facebook employees when they are in China and would likely increase communication between the company and other Chinese establishments. If it all works out, Facebook will not be alone - Google is already on the list of banned companies with office space in China.

Just a few months ago, Facebook released a Chinese-language version of the Moments app called Colorful Balloons. Uncharacteristically, even as the app gained popularity in China, the government has not taken it down. Teng Bingsheng, a professor at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, interprets this to mean that Facebook has done something right. “It has symbolic meaning because it must be a result of good communication with the government,” he believes.

While office space in China will not ensure a lift on the country’s Facebook ban, it seems that it may end up being a small victory for the company. For the hopeful, it may even indicate an eventual happy ending for the Chinese citizens and the social network.

Alanna Shingler
Staff Reporter