Prosecutors Get Warrant for Amazon Echo Data in Arkansas Murder Case
The case against Bentonville man James Bates is gaining national attention after prosecutors confirmed there is an active warrant to obtain information from his Amazon Echo.
While Benton County prosecutor Nathan Smith told NBC News they're not trying to force Amazon to comply with the warrant — and the e-commerce giant says it has refused anyway — the case is putting a spotlight on how newer types of personal technology have become sought-after pieces of evidence.
Kim Weber, Bates' attorney, said that although he has nothing to hide, she is still worried about the issue of privacy. It's a familiar concern: How cellphones are used to track people and whether seizing certain information on them is legal has been taken up by various courts.
"It is disconcerting for me as a defense attorney to know that we are purchasing these wonderful items to help us in our home ... to help us in our quality of life, and then they can be turned around and ... used against us to charge us in crimes," Weber told NBC News on Tuesday.