Communications of the ACM
Amazon Keeps Growing, and So Does Its Cache of Data on You
An Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker. Echo devices, which house the voice assistant Alexa, account for roughly 70% of U.S. smart speaker sales, according to estimates by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.
Credit: Mike Stewart/AP
Amazon plans to expand its reach into the health care and smart home industries through its $3.9-billion acquisition of the primary care company One Medical and a $1.7-billion merger with Roomba vacuum manufacturer iRobot.
However, these deals have raised concerns about how Amazon collects and uses consumer data.
Amazon's share of the U.S. e-commerce market is estimated at around 38%, giving it granular data on millions of Americans' shopping preferences.
Meanwhile, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimated that Amazon's Echo devices account for around 70% of U.S. smart speaker sales. This in addition to the data Amazon has gathered through its Ring doorbell systems and the palm-scanning technology being tested at certain Amazon and Whole Foods stores.
Said J.D. Power's Ian Greenblatt, "It's hard to think of another organization that has as many touch points as Amazon does to an individual."
From Associated Press
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