In an ever-growing digital world, our homes, as well as our phones, are becoming smarter. More than 780 million people worldwide are expected to be part of this revolution by 2028. However, there is a problem; Our privacy seems to be the price we pay for greater convenience.
A new study by Surfshark, one of the best VPN providers on the market, found that an average of 1 in 10 smart home apps use your data for tracking. Unsurprisingly, big tech companies Amazon and Google top the list of devices that consume the most data.
As Surfshark Privacy Advisor Goda Sukackaite explains, data collection is not the only issue here. a home is he Private space par excellence, where intimate aspects of our lives develop. “If managed poorly, [data collection] “It could lead to data theft, security breaches, and the unauthorized and uncontrolled dissemination of personal information to third parties,” Sukackaite said. “Users must be made aware and given the means to claim their digital privacy.”
Privacy or comfort?
Surfshark's Smart Home Privacy Checker investigates 290 apps connected to more than 400 Internet of Things (IoT) smart home devices. The most popular products were selected from more than 64 types of devices, from security cameras to robot vacuum cleaners. The researchers examined 32 potential data points across 12 categories for each smart home device, emphasizing uniqueness, tracking, and user engagement.
The widely used Amazon Alexa was the device that consumed the most data, collecting 28 of 32 possible data points. “That's more than 3 times more than the average smart home device,” the researchers noted, adding that all data collected, such as location, contact details and health data, is linked and associated with a user profile. specific user.
Worse yet, Amazon may use other data to track the four uncollected data points. For example, Alexa does not record browsing history, but it does record search history. Likewise, while fitness data remains private, the same cannot be said for health data linked to it.
Google is Amazon's closest competitor, collecting 22 out of 32 potential data details and linking all collected data to you. Surfshark reports address, precise location, photos, videos, audio data, browsing, and search history as the most notable collected data points.
“Extensive collection of such data can be concerning because it can compromise user privacy and potentially be exploited for targeted advertising, surveillance, or even malicious purposes if it falls into the wrong hands,” the provider explains.
The Keurig coffee machine app ranked as the third-highest data-consuming device, recording 19 of the 32 data points analyzed. This is still more than double the average for popular smart home tools. Again, Keurig linked all collected data to you.
Outdoor security cameras are also among the devices that collect the most of your data: 12 data points, linking seven of them to your identity. The Deep Sentinel and Lorex applications are especially active when it comes to data collection.
Another worrying finding is that 12 of the 290 apps analyzed have not updated their data collection practices for at least a year. These include MekaMon and Cozmo, which handle sensitive information such as precise location, photos, videos and audio recordings. According to Surfshark, all of this raises concerns about transparency and compliance with privacy laws.
Apps may use the collected data to track you on the Internet and show you targeted ads. They may also share your personal information with third-party services and data brokers.
“In such cases, you are effectively paying twice for those Internet of Things (IoT) applications: initially for the device and later with its data, which could be monetized,” Surfshark noted.
How to stay safe
While you may not be willing to give up your smarter home and all your devices, you can still join the technology revolution without completely giving up your privacy.
Commenting on this, Sukackaite said: “People should actively search for and use privacy settings, question and manage app permissions, and stay informed about the data security policies of the smart home devices they choose to integrate into their lives.” .
Start by avoiding notoriously data-hungry devices, such as Amazon or Google devices, whenever possible. Ask yourself: do I In fact I need this? If so, is there a more private alternative I can use?
Another crucial step is to review the apps' privacy settings. As a general rule, you should grant only the permissions necessary for the application to execute its functionality. Be sure to disable access to microphones and cameras unless strictly necessary.
To ensure maximum security, you should also periodically update your apps as soon as a new version is available. Developers use updates to fix bugs and vulnerabilities that hackers could otherwise exploit.
A VPN, short for virtual private network, is also useful for protecting your smart home from cyber attacks by encrypting Internet connections to prevent unwanted access. However, it's worth noting that to protect your smart home devices you need to install VPN software on your router or get one of the best built-in VPN routers.
