Amazon Just Bought a Spy for Your Boardroom
Amazon has acquired Bee, the AI wearable that made headlines at CES 2025 for always listening. Marketed as a “digital companion,” Bee promised to turn your day into reminders, summaries, and actionable tasks — claiming it never stores raw audio, only transcriptions and insights. Now, with Amazon behind it, this wearable isn’t just a personal assistant anymore — it’s a privacy threat for homes and businesses alike. If Alexa already felt invasive, Bee takes surveillance to a whole new level.
Why Small Businesses Should Pay Attention
The real danger isn’t just in what Bee captures from your day-to-day. It’s what happens when these devices are brought into sensitive business environments:
Confidential Conversations at Risk – Boardroom discussions, client negotiations, or internal strategy meetings could all be transcribed without clear consent. That information, even in summarized form, could expose trade secrets.
Unintentional Data Leaks – Employees wearing Bee devices in your office or at conferences might unintentionally capture private exchanges. One slip could mean competitors, hackers, or even Amazon itself gains insight into your operations.
Legal Liability – If a client or partner discovers they were recorded without permission, your business could face lawsuits, fines, or reputational damage that lasts far longer than any single meeting.
Credit: Bee
Credit: Bee
The Law Isn’t on Your Side
Several states — including California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Maryland — require everyone in a conversation to consent before it can be recorded. That means anyone using Bee in these states could be breaking the law every time they walk into a meeting or talk with a client. And let’s be real: who’s going to stop and get permission from every person they speak to? No one. Which leaves businesses like yours dangerously exposed.
Stay Vigilant
AI is blurring the line between “helpful assistant” and “silent surveillance.” Small businesses need to stay alert. This isn’t just about gadgets — it’s about protecting your privacy, your clients, and your bottom line. Amazon’s move is a wake-up call: the assault on business and consumer privacy is accelerating, and devices like Bee could become the new norm.
