Amazon to End Alexa’s Local Processing, All Voice Requests Will Go to Cloud

The move, tied to the launch of generative AI-powered Alexa+, raises privacy concerns as users lose a key privacy feature starting March 28.

Amazon will discontinue the 'Do Not Send Voice Recordings' feature on March 28, requiring all Alexa voice requests to be processed in the cloud.
The change coincides with the rollout of Alexa+, a generative AI-powered assistant offering personalized features but requiring cloud-based processing.
Users who opt for the 'Don’t Save Recordings' setting will lose access to the Voice ID feature, which enables personalized responses.
The privacy-focused feature was previously used by less than 0.03% of customers and limited to select Echo devices in the U.S.
Privacy advocates and users have expressed concerns, citing Amazon's history of data misuse, including a $25 million settlement in 2023 for storing children’s recordings indefinitely.