Ask HN: Why are my Echo Dots uploading 300MB of data in 3 days?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24105995

by RemingtonLak • 6 years ago

4 7 6 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I have several Echo Dots scattered throughout the house as well as Google Mini's. Finally trace mac's to their data usage and found two of my 2 Dots that are most heavily used (heavily I mean may be 5 commands total throughout the day to do simple things like lights and outlets, nothing at all complicated like read me news, stories etc.)

In 3 days, each of the 2 Dots uploaded over 500MB of data I don't know what. WTF?

Has anyone scoped it out and see what kind of data is sent? I haven't wiresharked it or anything outside of finally now realizing the data usage.

As a comparison, I use my Google Min for about the same amount of commands of similar types; lights/plugs on|off and also exclusively talk to my harmony remote. Actually G's Mini gets about 3x more commands but in the same period of 3 days, it only uploaded 24MB.

I realize voice files can get large, depending on sampling but damn.. 500MB in 3 days??! That's 500MB each!

bigiain2• 6 years ago

Possibly this: https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/08/ai_in_brief/

“ Yet punters noticed their Google Homes had been recording random sounds, without any wake word uttered, when they started receiving notifications on their phone that showed the device had heard things like a smoke alarm beeping, or glass breaking in their homes – all without giving their approval.

Google said the feature had been accidentally turned on during a recent software update, and it has now been switched off, Protocol reported. It may be that this feature is or was intended to be used for home security at some point: imagine the assistant waking up whenever it hears a break in, for instance.”

RemingtonLak3• 6 years ago

Hiya, yea I read that. Thanks. It's similar what what Echo already has called "Guard." Which basically does the same by listening to everything.

I've turned off every option/security/erased history and never turned on Guard. So it should theoretically be sending up only after the wake word which again should be ridiculously small since all I say are, "turn on xxx light" or "turn off xxx plug" and only about 5-7 a day to single Dot.

they have an army of human listeners since Amazon's AI/ML isn't all that sophisticated and still rely on human interpretation and data collecting.

I just find it unacceptable for that much information is constantly being uploaded. You would think if they were to extract any information from my private residence I should know. Matter of fact, instead of blanketed statement like; "we collect information relevant..." they should literally show me what they're collecting and let me determine what they can use/have and can't.

Yea, convenience comes with a price but shouldn't be this much.

slightwinder2• 6 years ago

Echo dots are from Amazon, this article is about the competing product from google. OR you wanna implicate that amazon is doing the same?

bigiain2• 6 years ago

would you bet against it?

RemingtonLak3• 6 years ago

Yes, actually Amazon has had this feature for awhile now. Although it is supposed to be enabled as you leave the house, no really telling if its on by "accident" or not.

slightwinder2• 6 years ago

I think you wanna correct your numbers. Is is 300 MB? 500 MB? Total or each? Or is this some kind of parody I don't understand?

RemingtonLak3• 6 years ago

Sorry, clarification; I have 2 Echos where one had >500MB upload while another had 300MB. Here's a snapshot: https://imgur.com/a/8EIFDA0