Amazon’s Alexa started ordering people dollhouses after hearing its name on TV

http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/7/14200210/amazon-alexa-tech-news-anchor-order-dollhouse

Amazon’s Alexa started ordering people dollhouses after hearing its name on TV

The story could have stopped there, had it not ended up on a local morning show on San Diego’s CW6 News. At the end of the story, Anchor Jim Patton remarked: “I love the little girl, saying ‘Alexa ordered me a dollhouse,’” According to CW6 News, Echo owners who were watching the broadcast found that the remark triggered orders on their own devices.

Alexa’s settings can be adjusted through the device’s app, and users can either turn off voice ordering altogether, or add a passcode to prevent accidental purchases.

Device/computer security really is the last thing on people's mind.

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Comments

BlackBeret

I heard the same story on the radio in the car that morning. Fortunately I'm sure not many people sit in their living rooms listening to the radio any more. I recall the same thing happening from Xbox kinect commercials, where the voice commands they demonstrated on the commercial would actually run the commands on the Xbox. Weren't there a few recent vulnerabilities released for Apple products because of Siri voice command recognition?

Some day people will learn that convenience does not trump unsecured access.

byron66

I don't use voice ordering for that particular reason. Alas I only use Alexa as a speaker to play spotify and it's a handy alarm clock.

Bokeh

If folks had bothered to read the instructions, its recommended that a 4 digit PIN be added to prevent this. I have my Echo Dot in the living room, and whenever the commercial comes on, it does light up when it hears Alexa.

cyberguypr

This reminds me of this: Siri opens “smart” lock to let neighbor walk into a locked house

Zero voice activation for me.

byron66

That means the neighbor has done it before. He was way to comfortable, and asking for a butt kicking. Wait people still ask to borrow sugar and flour from neighbors nowadays?

GeekyChick

Just think of all the business Amazon could give themselves by doing a commercial showing how to order using Alexa.

NetworkNewb

Amazon responded already: "Working as intended"

PC509

The smart lock thing is the reason Alexa will not be tied into my locks/alarm system.

p@r0tuXus

BlackBeret wrote: »

Some day people will learn that convenience does not trump unsecured access.

...Not before it is too late tho