Amazon Echo is accidentally buying DOLLSHOUSES after picking up instructions from a news reporter on owners’ TV
Retail giant's gizmo is ordering products after mistaking televised interviews for spoken voice commands
THE Amazon Echo has been making some surprising purchases without owner's permission.
People living in San Diego have claimed a TV news report set off their devices and accidentally made them order doll houses,
The Amazon Echo devices connect to the Alexa voice assistant, which can be used to stream music, control smart home devices, and notably, order products.
But the gadgets were apparently triggered by a report from CW6 News Morning Anchor Jim Patton, who was discussing a Dallas 6-year-old who accidentally ordered a $170 dollhouse and cookies via Alexa.
“I love the little girl, saying ‘Alexa ordered me a dollhouse,’” he said during the Thursday report, according to CW6.
When Patton mentioned Alexa and the dollhouse, viewers all over San Diego complained that their Echo devices then attempted to order dollhouses.
Earlier this month Brooke Neitzel, a six-year-old from Dallas, Texas, accidentally ordered a £140 ($170) dollhouse from Kidcraft and more than four pounds of cookies after saying: "Can you play dollhouse with me and get me a dollhouse?"
Megan, her mother, said she's now careful what she says around the device.
“I [feel] like whispering in the kitchen,” she said.
“I tell my kids Alexa is a very good listener.”
Alexa, which has sparked some privacy concerns, is at the forefront of Amazon’s efforts to harness the so-called Internet of Things (IoT), which aims to connect a vast array of consumer gadgets.
CW6 reports that Amazon’s shopping settings can be turned off via the Alexa app.
This includes turning off voice purchasing and creating a confirmation code before an order can be placed, the report said.
Alexa recently made headlines when it responded to a child’s request for a favourite song by playing “crude porn.”
Related Stories
An Amazon spokeswoman told FoxNews.com that when users ask Alexa to order a product, they must then confirm the purchase with a “yes” response to purchase via voice.
If users ask Alexa to order something by accident, they can simply say “no” when asked to confirm.
“You can also manage your shopping settings in the Alexa app, such as turning off voice purchasing or requiring a confirmation code before every order,” she said.
Orders placed for physical products are also eligible for free returns.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368