Microsoft listening to Cortana commands ... and Skype calls

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

 

 

Microsoft must have felt left out after the Amazon, Google and Apple revelations.  Well, now they don't have to feel so lonely anymore.

Quote

Contractors working for Microsoft are listening to personal conversations of Skype users conducted through the app's translation service, according to a cache of internal documents, screenshots, and audio recordings obtained by Motherboard.

 

The Skype audio obtained by Motherboard includes conversations from people talking intimately to loved ones, some chatting about personal issues such as their weight loss, and others seemingly discussing relationship problems.

This only applies to calls that use Skype's AI-driven translation feature, so it's another case of humans reviewing what the AI isn't entirely sure about.  Your regular calls are probably not being listened to by random strangers ... hopefully. 

 

 

But wait, there's more!

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Other files obtained by Motherboard show that Microsoft contractors are also listening to voice commands that users speak to Cortana, the company's voice assistant.

This is exactly the same as the other voice assistants, so no susprises there.  It was a matter of time before we had confirmation of this happening.

 

Microsoft's website does state that calls and Cortana commands may be analyzed, but not what this actually entails.  Apparently this is done by human subcontractors as well, just like the other big tech companies did. 

 

 

 

 

Source : https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xweqbq/microsoft-contractors-listen-to-skype-calls

 

I've been giving these things a lot of thought lately, and I do understand that they'd want to analyze audio snippets to improve the AI.  However doing so without clearly informing the users is just plain wrong.  I hope they get a massive slap on the wrist, one that really hurts. 

[lewdicrous]

Every company needs their own "they're listening to us" BS...

[jagdtigger]

Another reason to not use any of their junk....

[flibberdipper]

And this is a surprise to hopefully nobody. You should expect that shit like this will result in the company listening in on you lol

[TVwazhere]

Good thing I hate Cortana and disabled it

Good thing I hate Skype and deleted it

 

Personally I will resist verbal assistants for as long as I can. I dont even use google assistant on my phone. 

[jagdtigger]

3 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Good thing I hate Cortana and disabled it

Unless you nuke the folder containing it or physically disconnecting all microphones it isnt disabled....

[TVwazhere]

39 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

Unless you nuke the folder containing it or physically disconnecting all microphones it isnt disabled....

Cortana cant listen if you dont have a mic plugged in 

[Beskamir]

3 hours ago, jagdtigger said:

Unless you nuke the folder containing it or physically disconnecting all microphones it isnt disabled....

So just silencing the mic isn't enough is it? What sucks most about these privacy invasions is that 10-20 years ago everyone would have been in an uproar. Now people just don't care anymore. Used to be that using your real name online was discouraged. Now it's entirely socially acceptable to use your real name online and often it's even enforced. Our privacy has slowly been taken away from us over the past couple decades and people just got used to it in a way that's absolutely depressing when you care about privacy.

[TechyBen]

3 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

Cortana cant listen if you dont have a mic plugged in 

Hard drive vibrations change seek time, changes browser cache hit response times... Where there is a will, there is a way.

Yeah, but more and more of these things we generally use. Though I'm very tempted to go off grid. Just for the relaxation.

[Tsuki]

raise your hand if you're even remotely surprised.

 

 

 

 

 

ill wait

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

19 minutes ago, Beskamir said:

Used to be that using your real name online was discouraged. Now it's entirely socially acceptable to use your real name online and often it's even enforced.

 

Absolutely.  And it happened quickly as well. 

 

[Taf the Ghost]

Considering the NSA is known to have full access to Skype, I guess MS just wanted to get in on the action as well.

[suicidalfranco]

Hopefully Mycroft won't be on that list

[Arika]

Spoiler, every virtual assistant is listening to you and recording you at all times..... 

[LAwLz]

39 minutes ago, Arika S said:

Spoiler, every virtual assistant is listening to you and recording you at all times..... 

I have been called paranoid on this very forum for saying that. 

 

But it's always like this. First you get paranoid for questioning and investigating things, then once things hit the mainstream media everyone goes "oh, everyone knew about that already". 

[Arika]

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

I have been called paranoid on this very forum for saying that. 

 

But it's always like this. First you get paranoid for questioning and investigating things, then once things hit the mainstream media everyone goes "oh, everyone knew about that already". 

I just don't understand why people don't think they are. They need to record everything to improve voice recognition, and will therefore need to be analysed, and are always listening for the trigger word. If people thought otherwise, they had their head buried in the sand.