Can an Amazon Echo Testify Against You?

NYmag.com – According to the Information, local police have issued Amazon a warrant for the Echo voice recordings of murder suspect James Andrew Bates. Bates is accused of murdering Victor Collins in November 2015.  Police hope the voice recordings will provide new evidence in their case against Bates, but it is unlikely. Echo devices are always passively listening for commands, but Amazon does not start recording until the user says the wake word “Alexa.” And given that the Echo is skilled at eliminating background noise, it is unlikely that anything beyond the actual command will be able to be deciphered from the recordings. According to court documents, Amazon has twice declined requests to turn over the voice recordings. LINK