Smart devices such as speakers, cameras, TVs and washing machines are becoming increasingly popular in many households. However, these devices may also pose a threat to your privacy, as they can collect and share your personal data with third-party companies without your consent.
What data do smart devices collect?
Smart devices are designed to make your life easier and more convenient, but they also require you to provide a lot of information to set up and use them. For example, smart speakers may ask for your name, email, location, voice recordings and music preferences. Smart cameras and doorbells may capture your face, movements and visitors. Smart TVs may track your viewing habits and preferences. Smart washing machines may even ask for your date of birth.
According to Which?, a consumer champion group, some of the data collected by smart devices is not necessary for their functionality. For instance, a smart washing machine does not need to know when you were born to wash your clothes. Moreover, some of the data collected by smart devices is not transparent or clear to the users. For example, some smart devices use tracking services from Google, Amazon, Meta and TikTok, which may collect and use your data for advertising or other purposes.
How can smart devices compromise your privacy?
The data collected by smart devices can reveal a lot about you, such as your identity, location, habits, preferences and interests. This data can be used by third-party companies to target you with personalized ads, offers or recommendations. However, this data can also be used for more malicious purposes, such as identity theft, fraud or cyberattacks.
One of the main risks of smart devices is that they can be hacked or accessed by unauthorized parties. For example, hackers may be able to listen to your conversations through your smart speaker, watch your activities through your smart camera or control your smart TV remotely. Additionally, law enforcement agencies may be able to access your data through legal requests or warrants. For example, in 2015, the police in Arkansas requested Amazon to provide the audio recordings from an Echo device that was present at a murder scene.
Another risk of smart devices is that they can be used to spy on you or monitor your behavior. For example, some smart toys for children have been found to record their voices and send them to third-party servers without encryption or parental consent. Some smart TVs have been found to send screenshots of what users are watching to third-party companies without their knowledge. Some smart speakers have been found to record and store conversations that were not intended as commands or queries.
How can you protect your privacy from smart devices?
There are some steps that you can take to protect your privacy from smart devices. Here are some tips:
- Read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of the smart devices before you buy or use them. Find out what data they collect, how they use it and who they share it with.
- Adjust the settings of the smart devices to limit the amount of data they collect or share. For example, you can turn off the microphone or camera when not in use, disable tracking services or opt out of personalized ads.
- Use strong passwords and encryption for your smart devices and Wi-Fi network. Change the default passwords and update them regularly. Avoid using public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks when connecting your smart devices.
- Delete or review the data stored by the smart devices periodically. For example, you can delete the voice recordings from your smart speaker app or the screenshots from your smart TV settings.
- Choose reputable brands and models of smart devices that have good security and privacy features. Check the reviews and ratings of the smart devices before you buy them.
Smart devices can offer many benefits and conveniences for users, but they can also pose serious risks for their privacy. Users should be aware of what data their smart devices collect and share, and how they can protect themselves from potential threats.
