U.K.-based parent claims that a teen who was named after Amazon’s «Alexa» command legally changed her name.
«Alexa, change you name!»
After Alexa, a teenage girl who was bullied for her name being the same as Amazon’s smart speaker assistant, changed her legal name to Amazon , parents are asking Amazon what to do.
According to the BBC, U.K.-based parents have revealed that their daughter’s name Alexa has been associated with the smart assistant and caused harassment. __S.5__
«She stopped wanting to introduce herself due to the jokes, and the backlash,» Alexa’s mother, who refused to give her full name but was referred as «Heather», told BBC. She explained that jokes were also made about teachers.
Amazon’s voice-activated smart speakers, such as the Echo and Echo Dot, have become synonymous with the name «Alexa». Users must say «Alexa», before asking questions or calling for orders.
Heather’s family reported that Alexa was even moved because of her name.
Heather stated, «We have cut off all our friends and moved her into a new school to give her a fresh start.»
Others have expressed their desire for Amazon to change its name. Lauren Johnson from Massachusetts started the campaign «Alexa is Human,» pointing out in a letter to Amazon her daughter is being «constantly bullied at camp and school because her name’s Alexa.»
Fox News asked Amazon for comment but Amazon didn’t immediately respond. According to the company, BBC received a statement from them saying that they offer other wake words than Alexa. These include Computer, Echo, and Amazon. As with all of our activities, we value customers’ feedback and will continue to explore ways to give them more options in this area.
