Ever felt as though your smart speaker was eavesdropping? You’re not the only one! Those bargain bed and breakfast ads appearing on your feed right after confessing you need a weekend away to a friend might have you paranoid about your privacy. Coincidences in the digital age have us all wondering whether our smart home devices are listening in?
Smart home setups are becoming much more commonplace, and as they do, privacy concerns follow suit. To make our lives easier, smart speakers, TVs, doorbells, and thermostats are always listening, watching, or collecting data, but what is the cost? Let’s explore.
Smart Home Device Risks
The convenience that comes from smart home technology is undeniable, but your personal data might just be the price of that convenience. These devices collect a lot of data. Let’s discuss what and how that could be a problem.
What Do Smart Devices Listen To?
A lot of smart devices activate to specific “wake words” such as “Hey Siri” or “Alexa,” which means they are technically always listening.
These devices, according to the companies, don’t record or transmit unless activated, but we hear stories time and again that say otherwise.
Accidental triggers do happen, recordings have been discovered in clouds, and worse still, some have been mistakenly shared with total strangers.
Worryingly, the problem goes beyond voice assistants. What you watch is monitored by Smart TVs, your home security cameras can upload to remote servers, and even your eating habits are tracked by your smart fridge.
With so much data surrounding your habits, routines, and preferences, a clear picture can be built.
The Problem: Hacks & Data Leaks
Each smart device you connect to your home provides another potential entry point for hackers.
We have heard horror stories of strangers hijacking baby monitors and even speaking through them.
Additionally, these devices link to a smart home system connected to the internet, meaning like anything else online, data breaches are a risk.
There is also not enough transparency concerning what data manufacturers collect and how they store it. Many devices send data to third parties. So, your personal information is potentially very vulnerable.
Taking Control of Your Smart Home
Malware attacks on IoT devices have soared by 400% in recent years. Feeling worried? Don’t be.
You can enjoy your Smart home conveniences without concern with a few simple steps to help protect your privacy. Let’s take a look at some settings, tools, and habits that can make all the difference.
Settings Review & Adjustments
Your first defense is to review and tweak your device settings. Voice recording can usually be disabled, and you can typically adjust what data is stored and opt out of personalized ads.
The other option is to mute microphones and physical camera covers when devices aren’t in use.
Be sure to regularly check if the manufacturer has a privacy dashboard. From there, you can view and delete collected data; you may be surprised at how much is stored.
Be Cautious With Networks
Make sure you have a strong password for your home Wi-Fi network; it is essentially the portal to all of your smart devices. Where available, enable WPA3 encryption.
It is a wise idea to set up a guest network to isolate your smart devices; that way, they are kept separate from personal devices like mobiles and laptops.
Device firmware needs to be kept up to date to make sure it has the latest security patches in place from the manufacturer. Where possible, configure the updates to be automatic.
Extra Privacy Tools
You might also want to use some third-party security tools to up your level of protection.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN), for example, can help encrypt all outgoing traffic from your home router, making things much harder to track.
Data removal tools and services can help manage your personal data. Removing it from data broker sites.
Compare Incogni vs DeleteMe to see how they help reduce targeted ads and lower the risk of identity theft.
What the Future Looks Like for Smart Home Privacy
We are more or less still at the forefront of this technology but as it evolves and becomes more mainstream, the privacy challenges will force more awareness and regulation.
Awareness & Regulation
Companies are being forced into more transparency as Governments are cottoning on to the risks.
Privacy laws like the GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California, and other regulations, are attempting to get on top of the issue, but the tech is evolving rapidly.
As they play catch-up, it is vital that consumers understand the role they play in their own digital security. That starts by being aware of the risks.
If consumers get savvier and demand more control, then manufacturers might have to design devices with privacy in mind.
Local processing instead of cloud uploads is one such example of changes we can expect to see looking to the future.
Future AI and Automation Effects
AI development is propelling smart devices, but as it becomes more sophisticated, it makes privacy concerns all the more complex.
With AI’s ability to read huge data sets, recognize patterns, and predict, devices that can anticipate needs are on the horizon.
For some, that raises the question: “How much data is too much?”
Ultimately, there has to be a balance, but by staying mindful and informed, you can make sensible smart home device decisions and help keep your home and identity secure and private.
Be Smart When it Comes to Your Smart Home.
Smart home devices aren’t going anywhere; they will likely continue to become more integrated into daily life.
They offer a world of convenience and present risks, but those risks can be lowered if you understand how they work and adjust your settings accordingly.
Don’t forget to review and update, and remember you can use tools like a VPN or data removal service.
Smart home device privacy boils down to staying informed and alert.
With a bit of savvy and the right configuration, you have more control than you think.
Next time your device answers something you didn’t ask, you can stay cool and check the settings.
