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Smart home appliances and other wireless devices offer convenience but often at the expense of privacy. Although you don’t have to get rid of every smart device in your house, you should be deliberate about what devices stay and what doesn’t.
1Smart Speakers
Smart speakers, like the Amazon Echo, Google Nest, or Apple HomePod, listen to you. They need to detect the wake word (“Alexa,” “Hey, Google”) and will continue listening until they do. Once activated, they record commands and conversations, sending them to servers for processing. This means large tech companies have access to recordings from inside your home. Even if they don’t intend to use the data maliciously, accidental data leaks or breaches are always possible.
Additionally, these companies analyze what you ask to improve their algorithms and create targeted ads. While companies assure you that data is anonymized, it’s easy to tie it back to you with enough information.
If you’re the type to forgo any smart appliance to ensure your privacy, you shouldn’t keep one of these smart speakers in your home. But if you must, at least mute the microphone when you’re not using it for a while, review and delete voice recordings regularly, and avoid sensitive discussions near one.
2Wireless Security Cameras
Wireless security cameras, especially popular models like Ring, Nest, and Arlo, help monitor your home for safety. Today, many smart cameras upload footage to the cloud, where breaches could expose your private life.
Even if the cloud remains secure, wireless security cameras can ironically be a security issue. Hackers could get access to your Wi-Fi and potentially steal footage, allowing them to map out rooms, see potential valuables, and use the cameras to watch your every move.
If you need security cameras, get wired ones. But if you really need wireless security cameras, keep them outside your home and choose a model with strong encryption.
3Smart Kitchen Appliances
Smart kitchen appliances can monitor usage, track grocery items, and notify you about low supplies. This information can reveal much about your lifestyle, from diet preferences to family size, which companies may share with third parties for targeted marketing.
Many of these features are often gimmicky by nature and don’t really provide much value. Aside from providing you with data and notifications you don’t necessarily need, the possible privacy issues of connecting smart kitchen appliances to the internet are simply not worth the risk.
Try sticking to non-smart versions of these kitchen appliances. Not only will it boost your privacy, but it will also save you some cash.
4Smart Locks
Smart locks from August, Yale, and Schlage let you control access to your home with a smartphone. You can grant access remotely and track entries in real time. While convenient, smart locks introduce security risks.
Smart locks collect data when doors are locked and unlocked and store it on the cloud. If hacked, this data reveals patterns about when you’re home, compromising your security. Worse, a cybercriminal with access could potentially unlock your door remotely.
Just like smart kitchen appliances, the convenience of smart locks is not worth the risks to your privacy and security. Unless you need to open locks using your smartphone, get regular locks.
5Pet Monitoring Collars
Pet monitoring collars track your pet’s location and health stats through GPS and sensors. While they offer peace of mind for pet owners, they also collect extensive data on your pet’s movements, often overlapping with your own.
These devices use GPS and Wi-Fi to record locations, which companies store and may share with third-party partners. Although these collars aim to track pets, this data can reveal sensitive information about your whereabouts, routines, and movements. Pets don’t typically try to hide or avoid you; often, a simple whistle is enough to get them in front of you. Also, you should keep your pets on a leash and monitor them responsibly when going to public places. Unless you have a specific reason to use GPS collars on your pet, it would be better for your privacy if you didn’t have them at all.
6Smart Vacuum Cleaners
Robot vacuums like Roomba or Shark have cameras and sensors to navigate around the house. They map out the layout of your home to avoid obstacles and improve cleaning efficiency. However, this mapping also means the vacuum is collecting a detailed digital floor plan of your home andcould potentially be spying on you.
Some robot vacuums store these maps on the cloud, and how companies protect this data isn’t always clear. Additionally, vacuums with cameras can capture images or video of your surroundings, potentially compromising your privacy. A smart vacuum cleaner is pretty useful, but the risk associated with one is pretty high. So, although many people wouldn’t think twice about getting one, as a person who values privacy, it would still be worth considering whether the convenience of a smart vacuum cleaner is worth the risk to your privacy.
7Wi-Fi Baby Monitors
Wi-Fi baby monitors allow parents to watch and listen to their baby remotely via an app. Brands like Nanit, Owlet, and Motorola offer advanced features, including night vision, two-way audio, and motion alerts. Unfortunately, these devices are notorious for security vulnerabilities.
A compromised Wi-Fi baby monitor can allow strangers to view the video feed or even communicate with your child. Hackers could also gather sensitive data on the times and durations of recordings, giving insights into your family’s daily routines.
A better alternative is to get non-Wi-Fi baby monitors, which use other frequencies that don’t connect to the cloud or Wi-Fi. Buying and installing a wired baby monitor is an even better solution.
Apple AirTags and (similar trackers from Tile, Samsung, and Chipolo) help locate lost items like keys, bags, or wallets. Although these tags can be useful, AirTags can potentially be used to track individuals without consent. They allow stalkers or malicious actors to follow someone’s movements without them knowing.Apple has implemented some features to prevent abuse, but issues remain, especially when devices don’t update with security patches.
It is ultimately up to you to decide if the level of convenience you get by using AirTags is worth the risk. If your lifestyle allows it, it is better not to use them. But if you need to use AirTags or similar tracking devices, only use them when it counts, check regularly for updates, and disable location sharing with third-party apps.
9Robot Pet/Companion
Robot pets like Sony’s Aibo offer companionship, simulating the presence of a pet. Since these companion robots try to simulate pets with actual senses, their use of cameras, microphones, and other sensors is a big privacy and security concern. Robot pets collect detailed data on your household’s activity patterns. They capture images, audio, and personal information about you, which can be misused when these pieces of data get in the wrong hands.
If you’re concerned about privacy, consider less advanced models that don’t rely heavily on cloud-based AI. Also, disable any recording functions in the settings when possible.
These smart devices may make life easier but often have hidden privacy costs. If you’re concerned about your privacy, make sure to read privacy policies, regularly update firmware, and disable unnecessary features—or better yet, not have them at all.
