What happened
Amazon expanded its Alexa+ AI assistant to all users within the U.S. This capability is now provided free of charge for Prime members across all compatible devices. Concurrently, the same AI assistant is also offered free to all users when accessed through mobile applications and web browsers, altering the previous access limitations for this advanced AI feature.
Why it matters
The general availability of Alexa+ increases exposure for platform operators to new data processing and privacy compliance requirements, particularly concerning user interactions with AI. IT security and compliance teams now face a heightened due diligence burden to ensure data handling practices align with regulatory frameworks, given the expanded user base and access methods. This reduces the explicitness of user consent mechanisms for AI-driven interactions.
