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• In the U.K., Heather (not her real name), the mother of a teenager formerly known as Alexa, told the BBC that her daughter had to change her name and move schools to escape bullying and teasing related to the Amazon smart speaker's default name.
Another mother, Charlotte (not her real name), said her 6-year-old daughter is already tormented: "'Alexa, play disco.' I think it's affecting her confidence. Adults make fun of her, too."
And Lauren Johnson of Massachusetts, whose daughter is 9, said, "The whole thing is a step beyond 'normal' teasing and bullying. It's identity erasure. The word Alexa has become synonymous with servant or slave."
In response, Amazon reminds users that "we also offer several other wake words customers can choose from, including Echo, Computer and Amazon. ... We're saddened by the experiences you've shared, and want to be very clear: Bullying of any kind is unacceptable, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms." [BBC, 7/2/2021]