[jakevn]

No, it's not. We can use facial recognition, we can use voice signatures. It doesn't even have to be recorded, as the device setup can record those signatures of consenting users and refuse to transmit or save any data that does not match those signatures.

Tell me, which of these do Alexa and the like perform?

Would it be more difficult? Yes! This is the reality for any company where rights and laws actually matter. If you can't abide, you can't release. Very simple.

[cortesoft]

Ok, you are using a different definition of recording than me. I would say your definition is "recorded and stored"

I was thinking that in order to fingerprint a voice, you have to "record" it to a digital format that you can process to determine if it is the user who has consented. Even if it is deleted after processing, it was still "recorded" for a few milliseconds at least.

Does the law as written make that distinction? Would recording locally to check a fingerprint not still break the law?

[gumby]

the law on "copying" was abused by the music industry to try to get royalties on the buffering in dismal music devices and computers. The law eventually caught up and now there is no copyright violation in transient cacheing and buffering. I imagine the same will eventually happen for de minimums "recording" used to figure out if you may record or not (e.g. face recognition, voice printing and the like).