Sad, happy or angry: What would happen if Alexa could read your mood, offer shopping tips?

If Amazon’s Alexa thinks you sound sad, should it suggest that you buy a gallon of ice cream?

Joseph Turow says absolutely no way. Turow, a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, researched technologies like Alexa for his new book, “The Voice Catchers.” He came away convinced that companies should be barred from analyzing what we say and how we sound to recommend products or personalize advertising messages.

Turow’s suggestion is notable partly because the profiling of people based on their voices isn’t widespread. Or, it isn’t yet. But he is encouraging policymakers and the public to do something I wish we did more often: