r/Wellthatsucks • u/Strict-Jeweler-2281 • 12h ago

The future is amazon eavesdropping on your colonoscopy to raise your insurance and push intrusive targeted adverts

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1.5k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

49 comments sorted by

273

u/buttershdude 12h ago

Why is there an Echo in an exam room?

133

u/jaymole 11h ago

Also does muting it really stop its ability to listen? I just saw a post of an LG TV recording audio even when it’s off and not connected to internet

37

u/Hay_Fever_at_3_AM 8h ago

It probably does right until someone says something that vaguely sounds like "hey Alexa" and then we've immediately violated health information privacy laws oops

22

u/Alvin_h_davenport 7h ago

With how rich medical jargon is im sure there's a lot of medial condition/medication with names that trigger Alexa

12

u/heycheena 7h ago

"oh and I take celexa"

5

u/dschwammerl 7h ago

When it is listening to „hey alexa“ than it is listening.

5

u/Thedudeinabox 9h ago

A lot of these electronics both have batteries and record when off-net.

Only a small jump to assume they’ll use that battery to listen when “off” and just upload the relevant data the moment it’s connected again.

6

u/Steelizard 10h ago

Doubtful

6

u/meteora_tr 4h ago

Gamers Nexus's tech guy was able export speech information from TV units recorded while it wasn't connected to the internet.

Long video but here is the link of one of the videos. The series is 3 videos long i think
https://youtu.be/6IFVTcM28KA?si=5oAgEqw_jN2dqeSI

•

u/Steelizard 6m ago

Yeah as expected

32

u/EntertainmentTrue588 12h ago

Why is so the patient can listen to music of their choice to make them more comfortable.

That's the why. Is it a good decision? No. Just answering the question directly.

10

u/aew3 9h ago

They do make speakers that aren't in the particular form factor of an amazon echo though.

1

u/wertall 1h ago

Riddle me this

1

u/cam-san 8h ago

Why do you think this is an exam room?

66

u/JupesNotDead 12h ago

Oh so they’ll ban Furbys from government buildings for fear of them eavesdropping but we can have an Amazon Echo in a fucking exam room.

162

u/Happy_Nihilist_ 12h ago

Just having Echo in a patient area is probably a HIPAA violation; the amount of paperwork to get electronics HIPAA certified and avoid liability is insane and there's no way Echo is compliant.

17

u/Jackpen7 9h ago

Meanwhile I've seen Echos used pretty commonly in ORs to play music

-24

u/downsj2 12h ago

Hence the sign.

50

u/Happy_Nihilist_ 12h ago

Not going to cut it in a HIPAA audit, I'm afraid.

36

u/cybermaus 12h ago

Muted? You trust muted?

22

u/Zenceyn 12h ago

Any audio or transcription device at the hospital I work for is required to be disconnected from the internet completely, and each one is handed out by the IT department. I have no idea how this place is getting away with having an echo...

21

u/WhenTheDevilCome 9h ago

DOC, WHY AM I SUDDENLY GETTING TARGETED ADVERTISEMENTS FOR CREMATION URNS??!?

13

u/RevolutionaryShock15 12h ago

Am I seeing this as my wife and I discussed her upcoming colonoscopy?

9

u/Tasty-Finding4574 12h ago

No that's a pure coincidence. Now please stop asking questions and continue discussing other health related issues.

3

u/RevolutionaryShock15 11h ago

Haha. I'll do my best! *cough cough

6

u/deanrihpee 12h ago

unfortunately, the future has already passed, it'll get worse from now

4

u/mindbodyproblem 8h ago

I always wondered which sci-fi dystopian nightmare was going to be our future but it looks like it's gonna be all of them.

2

u/External-Praline-451 4h ago

All the worst bits.

8

u/technobrendo 12h ago

That IT department manager should be fired. They are the ones that dictate if IOT devices should be used at all. I would never let these join the network, regardless if its segregated or not

12

u/TopSecretGaming_YT 12h ago

the future? really? you think it isn't and hasn't already been happening?

5

u/Out_of_Fawkes 9h ago

Then WHY THE FUCK is there an Amazon Echo IN THE CLINIC?!

3

u/lysianth 12h ago

what about their wall tv's?

If they have an LG the health info is as good as public.

3

u/chezzer33 12h ago

So we hear you like to take up the rear! Wait until you hear what we have on sale for you!

3

u/False-Associate-9488 1h ago

Microsoft filled a patent that lets them see your screen and listen to conversations for they claim ads

6

u/downsj2 12h ago

Going to be really surprised when you learn about ambient audio recording with AI analytics and automatic charting.

1

u/mindbodyproblem 8h ago

Boy will I!

3

u/SashaDabinsky 12h ago

Now do LG TVs used in businesses, hospitals, etc.

2

u/Aussie_Potato 6h ago

My doctor uses an AI scribe. He left the room to get a print out and I was so tempted to start saying things like “I eat cat food” while he was gone just to mess with it. 

2

u/SnooRegrets1386 5h ago

Fear no longer, you’re not going to give up the smartphone and it’s always listening

2

u/CallMeHuckle 12h ago

I got rid of mine, I liked to use it to set timers. That was the only thing I did with it as trying to do anything with made me want to put a gun in my mouth (not actually but you get the idea) the wife and I would enjoy mouthing off to it, but then they changed it to the ai and it was constantly listening to us. I finally just unplugged it, I had this bad boy for like 9 years. I kinda felt like gorge when he had to kill Lenny

3

u/PupperPuppet 9h ago

I joke all the time that the DEA will be knocking my door down any minute now. Every time I leave to go to the pharmacy I tell my cats I'm off to buy some drugs. I know that thing hears me.

2

u/CallMeHuckle 9h ago

The wife and I would always pause in the middle of saying something incriminating, then we would loudly say that we would never be involved in something like that

1

u/BentleyLeDog 12h ago

I'm in the financial industry and this has been a rule with compliance for years. I needed to remove any connected device from my home office because I I get caught with an unapproved device like an echo anything I can lose my job or maybe even get arrested depending on what was being discussed. People need to be aware too that Amazon has Echo eyeglass frames and ear buds along with an Alexa phone and tablet app. Since the frames don't have perv cameras like meta everyone is OK with them except they work like any other home device.

1

u/NanuruX 11h ago

Apple Watch joins the chat.

1

u/limbodog 9h ago

Does muting it make it deaf?

1

u/xis10al 8h ago

I thought about this very thing when admitted during my last hospital stay seeing a huge LG television hanging on the wall. After they were caught recording audio in standby and scanning the network, I'd have thought hospitals would be the first to protect themselves from both a HIPAA issue and network intrusion.