Amazon blackmail: should we feel sorry for the world’s richest man?

Beyond Today

BBC

News

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 February 2019

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The fact that a rich, powerful man had an affair and is getting divorced shouldn’t be of more than passing interest. But with the Amazon boss Jeff Bezos things are a bit different. Not only is there the eye-watering amount of money involved, he’s worth around $130bn, but the story took a remarkable turn last week when he published a blog post revealing he was being blackmailed with dirty photos he’d sent his mistress. If the world’s richest man can’t protect his privacy, what hope is there for the rest of us? The BBC’s Kim Gittleson talks to us about extortion, divorce and “below the belt selfies”. Producer: Harriet Noble Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.
0:06.6	Hello, welcome to Beyond Today, a space to ask one big question about one big story.
0:13.0	Today, should we feel sorry for the world's richest man?
0:27.0	Harret, you've got an Alexa. I do have an Alexa. What do you use it for?
0:36.1	I found it quite useful in my living room that I can just ask it to play music or
0:40.6	podcasts, ask it what the time is.
0:43.0	Aren't you worried it spying on you?
0:44.3	I don't have one by the way.
0:45.8	Because you were worried it spying on you?
0:47.3	Yeah, I just, the idea of Alexa running in the background all the time creeps me out. I'm paranoid about it spying on me not that I've got
0:54.5	anything to hide and I think it encouraged us to be lazy. Definitely encourages me
0:59.3	to be lazy I'm not worried about it spying on me because I don't think I do or say anything interesting enough.
1:05.6	I mean I don't think Amazon is interested in how much I listen to various indie bands.
1:11.2	So I'm not worried but I did want to find out go straight to the source
1:15.8	Alexa are you spying on me?
1:21.5	I only send audio back to Amazon when you activate me. For more information and to view
1:27.4	Amazon's privacy notice visit the help section of your Alexa app or Alexa.
1:32.3	Amazon. UK. That's section of your Alexa app or Alexa dot Amazon dot co-
1:33.2	UK.
1:34.2	That was a no.
1:36.0	Exactly.
1:36.6	I'm actually now worried that Alexa is spying on me.
	...

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