Woman says her Amazon device recorded private conversation, sent it out to random contact
Source: KIRO 7 (CBS-affiliated)
A Portland family contacted Amazon to investigate after they say a private conversation in their home was recorded by Amazon's Alexa -- the voice-controlled smart speaker -- and that the recorded audio was sent to the phone of a random person in Seattle, who was in the family’s contact list.
"My husband and I would joke and say I'd bet these devices are listening to what we're saying," said Danielle, who did not want us to use her last name.
Every room in her family home was wired with the Amazon devices to control her home's heat, lights and security system.
But Danielle said two weeks ago their love for Alexa changed with an alarming phone call. "The person on the other line said, 'unplug your Alexa devices right now,'" she said. "'You're being hacked.'"
Read more: https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/woman-says-her-amazon-device-recorded-private-conversation-sent-it-out-to-random-contact/755507974
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On a lanyard around her neck. Since she still lives alone her children bought it for her. Right after she got it she was baking a cake and while washing out the mixer bowl, suddenly an EMT crew ran into her house. Apparently she was leaning against the button while washing and they got the signal something was wrong. About the time they sorted that out, police officers and an ambulance showed up.
According to the neighbor, the EMT and police hung around and it sort of turned into a party while everybody got a slice of cake! 
Someday soon, people will be required to have something like this in their home... perhaps we already do. Our devices , from laptops to cell phones, etc. are all already listening.
I won't have one of those things in my house willingly. But I wonder if it even matters, between my cell phone's "ok google" ans the laptop's Cortana...
Even if I never use them, are they still listening?
creepy and awful. We have traded so much of our personal freedom to these things.
I fought getting a cell phone for years because I don't want people to be able to call me anywhere. Fuckit, if I'm not home I'm not home! None of your beeswax where I am or what I'm doing! 
I don't have one but we bought the google home mini for my 83 year old mom with very limited vision to use in her nursing facility. She loves it and can ask it for the time and weather and news. She can play simple games on it and can make outgoing phone calls by name. We uploaded some of her favorite old music to google play music so she can ask for a song or collection by name. Yes it monitors her but she can say "hey google, call whomever" if she wants to talk or needs something. She also has some slight memory loss and the usual senior stuff and can ask the speaker anything and even repeat the question with no frustration from the speaker. I can check in or her usage on my phone and know that she is up and around and ok. She knows this and approves. So, while not for everyone (including myself) I am glad we have the device for mom...
... just as you describe for your mother. However I have disabled the camera and receivers that came installed on my computer and smart TV, and I plan to never use them. The whole thing horrifies me and the OP's story doesn't surprise me at all.
Anyone who watches the hilarious sitcom "Silicon Valley" has seen the crazy possibilities of this technology. There were numerous comedy scenes illustrating what can go wrong with a "smart" refrigerator that gets hacked and reprogrammed. When it happens to you it's not very funny, but we can all laugh at the TV sitcom.
