Amazon Asks Ninth Circuit to Review Alexa Privacy Damages Class

Amazon said a federal district court erroneously certified a class of every registered Alexa user who may have had their conversations recorded by the virtual assistant.

The Washington-based multinational company asked the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to review whether the damages class includes members who lack standing, and if the lower court failed to properly review how plaintiffs would prove or calculate damages.

Alexa retains audio recordings of its users for training purposes, something Amazon said it discloses. Sometimes the voice-activated assistant activates on a false trigger, or wake, and could “in theory” record something it ...