Amazon uses Alexa Voice Data to target Consumers with Ads

According to a report by The Verge, the US-based tech giant Amazon utilizes voice data from its Echo devices to provide targeted ads on its own platforms and the web. This report included researchers from the University of Washington and it concluded that Amazon and third parties collect data from interactions with Alexa through Echo smart speakers and share it with as many as 41 advertising partners. After this, the collected data is then used to "infer user interests" and "serve targeted ads on-platform (Echo devices) as well as off-platform (web)".

The Verge report also emphasized that this type of data is in high demand, eventually leading to "30X higher ad bids from advertisers". In an email, the spokesperson of the E commerce giant, Lauren Raemhild said, "Similar to what you would experience if you made a purchase on Amazon.com or requested a song through Amazon Music, if you ask Alexa to order paper towels or to play a song on Amazon Music, the record of that purchase or song play may inform relevant ads shown on Amazon or other sites where Amazon places ads.”