Amazon will end a little-used privacy feature that let some users of its Echo smart speaker prevent their voice commands from going to the company's cloud.
Beginning March 28, Amazon will end the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" option that kept audio from being sent to Amazon's cloud and had it process locally on the device instead.
This July 29, 2015, file photo shows Amazon's Echo speaker, which responds to voice commands, in New York, July 29, 2015.
In an email sent to customers who'd been using the option, Amazon said it made the decision to "no longer support this feature" as it expands Alexa's capabilities with generative artificial intelligence features that rely on being processed in the cloud.
While the change may sound alarming to some privacy-minded users, it was not widely used or available. It only worked on three devices: the 4th generation Echo Dot, the Echo Show 10 and the Echo Show 15 โ and only for customers in the U.S. with devices set to English. Amazon said less than 0.03% of customers use it.
People still have the option to prevent Alexa from saving voice recordings. Those who'd been using the "Do Not Send" feature as of March 28 will automatically be opted into the "Don't save recordings" option, Amazon said.
"The Alexa experience is designed to protect our customers' privacy and keep their data secure, and that's not changing. We're focusing on the privacy tools and controls that our customers use most and work well with generative AI experiences that rely on the processing power of Amazon's secure cloud," Amazon said in a statement.
Americans are feeling the financial squeezeโand it's about to get worse
Americans are feeling the financial squeezeโand it's about to get worse
Updated
Americans are growing increasingly uneasy about the state of the economy. Consumer sentiment has fallen to a 15-month low in February as inflation expectations spike and concerns over tariffs mount, according to the University of Michigan's latest Consumer Sentiment Index. BuchhaltungsButler and DataPulseย Research say this decline spans across all age and income groupsโand even Republicans' post-election confidence has dipped.
Consumer Price Index Not Meeting Expectations
Updated
This report came on the heels of a surprisingly large 0.5 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index in January. In February, the Consumer Price Index was up 2.8% from a year earlier, and came in below economists' expectations.
Americans Psyched Out by Fear of Economic Collapse
Updated
The explicit policy choices to induce "necessary economic collapse" โto quote Elon Muskโare already having an effect on the American psyche. Searches for "financial stress" are higher today (March of 2025) than they were during the height of the Great Recession.
Financial Stress Isn't Just an Economic IssueโIt's a Public Health Crisis
Updated
Research from the National Library of Medicine finds that financial insecurity is strongly linked to increased anxiety and depression, particularly among low-income, unemployed, and renting households. It's also taking a toll on workplaces. A Bank of America report found that in 2024, only 42% of U.S. workers felt financially secureโthe lowest rate in a decade. Meanwhile, PwC reports that 45% of financially struggling employees say money worries distract them at work, reducing productivity.
Likewise, new research from BuchhaltungsButler together with DataPulse Research suggests financial stress is reshaping workplace habits, with more workers putting in longer hours, taking on second jobs, or delaying retirementโa stark contrast to the work-life balance being pursued across the globe and in major companies.
Warning Signs: Economists Say U.S. Policies Are Fueling Economic Instability
Inflation isn't the only economic threat. Mass layoffs in the federal civil service, spending freezes, and deep budget cuts to health care, rental assistance, and other safety net programs have just recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives. If enacted, these measures could further erode confidence in the economy in the months ahead.
Dean Baker, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, warns that current U.S. policiesโsuch as austerity-driven budget cuts and protectionist trade measuresโare exacerbating financial instability rather than addressing core economic challenges. He argues that cuts to government support programs like Medicaid and food assistance will disproportionately harm working- and middle-class Americans.
Musk's Mass Job Cuts and Spending Freezes Spread Far Beyond Washington
The most immediate economic pain ties back to Musk's Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) sweeping and arbitrary layoffs in the federal government's civil service sector, along with unilateral spending freezes. So far, approximately 30,000 federal employees have lost their jobs, with projections suggesting that up to 300,000 more jobs could be eliminatedโpotentially making this the largest job cut in American history. Americans in all 50 statesโwho on average make less than their private sector counterpartsโare losing their jobs, not just faceless bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
Disruption Is the Name of the Game for People and Programs
Updated
The documented stories of public service-minded Americans being laid off by Musk are growingโfrom park rangers and wildfire enforcement in Oregon's national forests, aviation inspectors in Texas that help ensure safety for those flying and scientists in Florida who track hurricanes, to infectious disease researchers at the CDC in Georgia, farmers in Michigan, and disability claims processors at Veterans Affairs hospitals in Wisconsin.ย
The ripple effects of these spending freezes and job cuts are already being felt by businesses and nonprofits that rely on federal grants. Thousands of jobs in the private sector that depend on federal grants have already been lost and even those who don't rely on federal funds are expressing fear and uncertainty. And nonprofits that provide human services programs to the elderly, children, and the disabledโincluding independent living facilities, after-school programs, and community health centersโare nowย experiencing disruptions.ย
Budget Cuts Could Deepen the Crisis
President Donald Trump's administration isn't just laying off workers. The House of Representatives recently passed sweeping budget reductions that would slash rental assistance, Medicaid, food assistance, and other safety net programs that millions of Americans rely on. These cuts are expected to have wide-ranging economic consequences, particularly for low-income populations, such as increased housing instability and food insecurity, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
One of the most controversial proposals involves Medicaid funding reductions, which could push millions of Americans off their health insurance. A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation warns that capping federal Medicaid spending would shift costs onto states, forcing them to cut enrollment, limit eligibility, or reduce health care services. Additionally, hospitals and health care providers in states facing Medicaid cuts could struggle financially, particularly in rural areas where facilities are already underfunded.
Lessons From the Pandemic: When Financial Security Improved, Economic Confidence Rose
Updated
Economic confidence has never fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, but data shows that Americans felt more financially secure during the pandemic's peak when direct government aid was in place, than they do today.
Losing the Race to Stay Ahead
Updated
In early 2020, as the pandemic triggered mass layoffs and economic shutdowns, consumer sentiment plummeted. However, it rebounded when relief measures such as stimulus payments, expanded unemployment benefits, and enhanced child tax credits took effect. These policies provided millions of households with a financial cushion, stabilizing consumer spending and reducing economic uncertainty.
Once these programs expired, financial stress and poverty levels surged again. The end of rental protections, unemployment expansions, and food assistance programs left many struggling to keep up with rising costsโa trend that has continued into 2025.
Will Financial Stability Return?
Updated
With 2025 barely underway, Americans are responding to persistent inflation and Trump's inflationary policies with souring sentiment and deepening financial stress.
If Congress continues to turn a blind eye to Musk's job cuts and spending freezes, and if Congress and Trump follow through on gutting housing and health care programs that provide financial stability to millions, the economic strain on workers and families is likely to worsen. As more people lose access to stable employment, affordable housing, and essential health care, financial insecurity will cause unnecessary suffering to people, and reverberate by dragging down businesses and the broader U.S. economy.
The choices made now will determine whether the economy stabilizes or spirals further. Policymakers must decide: Will they pursue solutions that restore financial security and economic confidence, or will they continue to condone the instability allowing it to deepen and pushing more Americans to the brink?
Without action, the cost won't just be felt in household budgetsโit will be etched into the foundation of the economy for years to come.
This story was produced by BuchhaltungsButler and DataPulse Research, and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
