The Lopez settlement is a legal agreement that requires Amazon to pay $25 million and change how Alexa handles your voice recordings
In 2023, Amazon settled a lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general over how the company kept and used voice recordings from Alexa devices. The settlement, named after the lead plaintiff, requires Amazon to delete millions of voice recordings that users had already deleted from their own accounts, and to make it clearer what happens to your voice data when you use Alexa.
The core issue was that Amazon kept voice recordings even after people deleted them through the Alexa app. Users thought deleting a recording meant it was gone. Amazon was storing it anyway, in servers the user could not see or control. The settlement does not mean Alexa is now unsafe — it means Amazon has to be more transparent about what it does with your voice, and you get more control over deleting it.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon agreed to delete voice recordings that users had already deleted through the Alexa app, covering millions of recordings from before the settlement.
- Amazon must now show you clearly in the Alexa app what voice data it stores and give you an straightforward way to delete it all at once, rather than one recording at a time.
- The settlement requires Amazon to tell you upfront that voice recordings are kept and used to improve Alexa, before you set up a device.
- Amazon paid $25 million in the settlement, but this money goes to the FTC and state governments, not to individual users.
- The settlement applies only to Amazon and Alexa — other voice assistants like Google Assistant or Siri have their own separate privacy policies and rules.
What Amazon had to change about voice recording storage
Before the settlement, Amazon kept every voice recording that triggered Alexa, even if you deleted it from your app. The company said this was necessary to improve the service, but users had no way to know the recordings still existed or to delete them permanently. The FTC argued this violated consumer protection laws because Amazon was not being clear about what it was doing.
Under the settlement, Amazon must now delete voice recordings when you delete them through the Alexa app. The company also had to delete millions of historical recordings — voice data from users who had already deleted the recordings themselves but Amazon had kept copies anyway. This part of the settlement was one-time: it applied to recordings made before the agreement took effect, not to new recordings going forward.
How the settlement changed what Amazon tells you about voice data
Amazon now has to disclose clearly, before you buy or set up an Alexa device, that the device records what you say and that Amazon keeps those recordings to improve the service. This information must appear in plain language, not buried in a terms-of-service document that almost nobody reads.
The settlement also requires Amazon to make it easier to manage your voice data inside the Alexa app. You can now delete all your voice recordings at once, rather than deleting them one by one. Amazon must also show you a summary of what voice data it has stored and let you turn off the option to save new recordings if you choose.
What the settlement does not change
The settlement does not mean Amazon stops recording you or stops using voice data to improve Alexa. Amazon still records every time you say the wake word and still keeps those recordings by default. The company still uses voice data to train its voice recognition system and to develop new Alexa features. What changed is transparency and your ability to delete what is stored.
The settlement also does not explore to other companies. Google, Apple, and other makers of voice assistants have their own privacy policies and their own histories with regulators. Some may have made similar changes, but they did so under different agreements or on their own. If you use Google Home or Siri, you would need to check those companies' privacy settings separately.
Why this settlement matters for your privacy choices
The Lopez settlement is one example of how regulators are pushing back on the idea that companies can collect data silently and assume users have agreed to it. The FTC's argument was not that voice recording is inherently wrong — it was that Amazon hid what it was doing and made it hard for users to control their own data.
For you as a user, the settlement means you have more information about what happens to your voice and more tools to manage it. You can now make a real choice: keep voice recordings turned on because you want Alexa to work better, or turn them off because you prefer not to have Amazon store your voice. That choice was harder to make before the settlement because Amazon did not make it obvious that recordings were being kept.
How to check your Alexa voice recording settings after the settlement
Open the Alexa app on your phone and go to More (the three horizontal lines). Tap Settings, then Account Settings, then Alexa Privacy. You will see options to review and delete your voice history. You can delete all recordings at once, or you can turn off the option to save new voice recordings going forward. If you turn off recording, Alexa will still hear the wake word and respond to commands, but Amazon will not store the audio.
Keep in mind that turning off voice recording may affect how well Alexa understands your voice or accent, since the company uses stored recordings to improve recognition. This is a trade-off you can make based on your own comfort level with data storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did I get money from the Lopez settlement?
No. The $25 million Amazon paid went to the FTC and state attorneys general, not to individual users. Some settlements do include payments to affected consumers, but this one did not. The benefit to you is the changes Amazon made to how it handles your voice data and the clearer information about what it does with recordings.
Does this mean Alexa is now safe to use?
The settlement does not make Alexa inherently safer — it makes Amazon more transparent about what it does with your voice and gives you more control. Whether you feel comfortable using Alexa depends on your own risk tolerance. Some people are fine with Amazon storing voice recordings to improve the service. Others prefer to turn recording off or not use voice assistants at all. Both choices are reasonable.
Can I delete all my old voice recordings at once?
Yes. Open the Alexa app, go to More, then Settings, then Account Settings, then Alexa Privacy. You will see an option to delete your entire voice history. This deletes what Amazon has stored, though it may take a few days for the deletion to complete on Amazon's servers.
What if I do not want Amazon to record my voice anymore?
In the Alexa app, go to Alexa Privacy and turn off the option to save voice recordings. Alexa will still respond to commands, but Amazon will not store the audio. You can turn this setting back on anytime if you change your mind.
Does this settlement explore to other voice assistants?
No. Google Assistant, Siri, and other voice assistants have their own separate privacy policies and their own regulatory history. If you use those devices, check their privacy settings separately to see what options they offer for managing voice data.