Silent Witness: Smart Speakers Provide Police with Information
Amazon Echo knows more than it seems.
New study showed that police can access sensitive data from smart speakers at crime scenes without the owner’s permission or the manufacturer’s help. This information could prove invaluable in solving murders or burglaries.
Scientists Jona Krasselt and Gaston Pugliese from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany have studied what information can be extracted from these devices. Their research was inspired by news of Amazon refusing to provide police with data from a smart speaker related to a murder case.
The researchers focused on the Amazon Echo Show 15, a smart assistant with a large display, camera, six microphones, and a light sensor. They were able to access the device’s unencrypted file system, which stored logs of detected movements and recognized faces.
A “refresh token” used to access cloud data was also found in the file system. Although encrypted, the researchers were able to decrypt it using a key found in an unencrypted file on the device and information from open source code. This allowed access to voice requests, calendars, contacts, conversations, photos, and videos.
Pugliese noted that some technical knowledge is required to obtain local data, but surprisingly the file system was not encrypted.
An Amazon spokesperson said the security of customers’ devices and data is the company’s top priority, stressing that obtaining the data required direct physical access to the Echo device and specialized knowledge to extract information from its internal components.
Criminologist David Wilson of Birmingham City University in the UK said the use of technology and science in murder investigations was far less common than TV crime dramas would have you believe. Less than 2% of murder trials rely on DNA evidence, he said.
Wilson believes that while evidence from smart speakers may be useful in a small number of cases, there are concerns about the trade-off between security and privacy. He stressed the importance of considering human rights issues when implementing such technological advances.
What type of data can police access from smart speakers like Amazon Echo during a criminal investigation?
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- 0.1 What type of data can police access from smart speakers like Amazon Echo during a criminal investigation?
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- 1 Silent Witness: Smart Speakers Provide Police with Information
Silent Witness: Smart Speakers Provide Police with Information
Amazon Echo knows more than it seems. A recent study has revealed that police can access sensitive data from smart speakers at crime scenes without the owner’s permission or the manufacturer’s help. This information could prove invaluable in solving murders or burglaries. But what exactly can smart speakers like Amazon Echo tell the police?
Inspired by a high-profile murder case in Arkansas, where police sought to hear Alexa, the voice assistant, as a potential witness [[1]], researchers Jona Krasselt and Gaston Pugliese from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany delved into the world of smart speakers to uncover the secrets they hold. Their findings were eye-opening, to say the least.
The researchers focused on the Amazon Echo Show 15, a smart assistant with a large display, camera, six microphones, and a light sensor. They discovered that the device’s unencrypted file system stored logs of detected movements and recognized faces. Moreover, a “refresh token” used to access cloud data was also found in the file system, which, although encrypted, could be decrypted using a key found in an unencrypted file on the device and information from open source code. This granted access to voice requests, calendars, contacts, conversations, photos, and videos.
Pugliese noted that some technical knowledge is required to obtain local data, but surprisingly, the file system was not encrypted. This lack of encryption raises concerns about the security of customers’ devices and data. While an Amazon spokesperson emphasized that the security of customers’ devices and data is the company’s top priority, the researchers’ findings suggest that there is still more to be done to ensure the privacy of smart speaker users.
This is not the first time that Alexa has been involved in a police investigation. In another incident, a household’s Echo speaker mistakenly called the police, leading to a unnecessary intervention [[2]]. Similarly, a journalist, Brad Stone, recounted in a book the selection process of Alexa’s English voice, involving numerous trial runs and testing [[3]].
The implications of these findings are significant. If police can access sensitive data from smart speakers without the owner’s permission or the manufacturer’s help, it raises questions about privacy and the boundaries of police authority. While smart speakers may provide valuable clues to solve crimes, they also present a risk to users’ personal data.
Ultimately, the responsibility lies with both the manufacturers and users of smart speakers to ensure that these devices are used responsibly and with due consideration for privacy and security. As our homes become increasingly connected, it is essential to be aware of the potential risks and take steps to mitigate them.
Keywords: smart speakers, Amazon Echo, police investigation, privacy, security, Alexa, voice assistant.
Meta Description: Smart speakers like Amazon Echo can provide valuable clues to police in solving crimes. But what exactly can they reveal, and what are the implications for users’ privacy and security?
Silent Witness: Smart Speakers Provide Police with Information
Amazon Echo knows more than it seems. A recent study has revealed that police can access sensitive data from smart speakers at crime scenes without the owner’s permission or the manufacturer’s help. This information could prove invaluable in solving murders or burglaries. But what exactly can smart speakers like Amazon Echo tell the police?
Inspired by a high-profile murder case in Arkansas, where police sought to hear Alexa, the voice assistant, as a potential witness [[1]], researchers Jona Krasselt and Gaston Pugliese from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany delved into the world of smart speakers to uncover the secrets they hold. Their findings were eye-opening, to say the least.
The researchers focused on the Amazon Echo Show 15, a smart assistant with a large display, camera, six microphones, and a light sensor. They discovered that the device’s unencrypted file system stored logs of detected movements and recognized faces. Moreover, a “refresh token” used to access cloud data was also found in the file system, which, although encrypted, could be decrypted using a key found in an unencrypted file on the device and information from open source code. This granted access to voice requests, calendars, contacts, conversations, photos, and videos.
Pugliese noted that some technical knowledge is required to obtain local data, but surprisingly, the file system was not encrypted. This lack of encryption raises concerns about the security of customers’ devices and data. While an Amazon spokesperson emphasized that the security of customers’ devices and data is the company’s top priority, the researchers’ findings suggest that there is still more to be done to ensure the privacy of smart speaker users.
This is not the first time that Alexa has been involved in a <a href="https://www.carneyforens
