To say that we live in the age of technology and information would be an understatement. The average person is constantly bombarded with information and whether they realize it or not, is constantly sending information out as well. Whenever we wake up, often times, the first thing we do is check our phones or other sources of technology to verify we have not missed anything or determine if we have an event coming up. This has reached a point in which being without your technology can leave you feeling somewhat naked and unprepared.
This restriction the average person often experiences has certainly raised concerns about privacy. Just how much information is being transmitted to the public, or worse, to private individuals who have reporting obligations? Recently, a company on the forefront of new technology has released a device which sits in your home and constantly monitors what you say. This device is specifically designed for voice recognition. For example, the device will provide information to you or provide information on your behalf to a third party simply by a voice command.
One family recently discovered the device never actually turns off. The female electronic voice is always ready to respond to your voice commands. The family’s young boy innocently asked the device about the weather and before he knew what was happening found himself ordering items from a company’s website. The mistake was not discovered until days later when the child’s father noticed a shipping confirmation for light fixtures he had never heard of!
While most would find this to be a fascinating new device, which makes the hands free life even easier, we are not without our concerns here at Bleile and Dawson. What happens when you are not using the device? Is it simply recording your conversations and if so, where are these stored? Who has access to these conversations? Are they properly encrypted to ensure your privacy?
Currently there is a murder case pending out of the Mid-Western United States which has this very device at the center. The key question – Can police use the recorded conversations on the device to prove guilt or innocence? Obviously, this raises some questions regarding the 4th Amendment protection against searches and seizures. We are anxiously awaiting the results of this case in the hopes it will add some clarity to the issue. Thankfully, when a private citizen has questions regarding the constitution, help from a defense attorney is only a phone call away!
The attorney’s at Bleile & Dawson are extremely knowledgeable in criminal law, especially when it comes to defending our clients against wrongful accusations, whether in the State of Ohio or the Commonwealth of Kentucky. If you feel that you have wrongly been accused of a crime and seek to find the best possible representation to fight for you, hire a law firm that puts the client first and fights hard to protect the client. Contact us today for a completely confidential consultation at 513-564-0088.