Home is where you expect the most privacy, and it is also where the most sensors have arrived in recent years: speakers that respond to your voice, televisions that recognise what you watch, thermostats that learn your schedule, robot vacuums that map your rooms. Each of these devices is convenient; together, they can reveal a lot about how you live. Knowing what they collect lets you keep the benefits while reducing your exposure.
How a voice assistant works
A smart speaker listens locally for a wake word. As a rule, only after recognising it does it start sending audio to the provider's servers, where the request is interpreted. This has some practical consequences:
- accidental activations can happen: a word similar to the wake word, spoken in conversation or on television, can start a recording;
- recordings of requests are often stored in the account, together with the transcript;
- with some services, a portion of recordings may be reviewed to improve speech recognition, as stated in the privacy notice and settings.
What other devices collect
| Device | Typical data | What it can reveal |
|---|---|---|
| Connected TV | Programmes and apps used, sometimes recognition of content on screen | Habits, schedules, interests |
| Thermostat and ambient sensors | Temperature, presence, switch-on times | When you are home and when you are not |
| Mapping robot vacuum | Floor plan of the home, objects detected | Size and layout of the home |
| Indoor cameras | Images and audio | The private life of the whole family |
| Smart locks and doorbells | Entry and exit times | Household members' routines |
The rules that apply
The providers of these services are data controllers and must comply with the GDPR: a clear privacy notice under Article 13, data minimisation and data protection by default under Articles 5 and 25, and the ability to exercise rights of access, erasure and objection. For features not needed for the service, such as using recordings to develop new products, you should be offered a choice.
You, as a private user, normally fall within the exemption for purely personal or household activities in Article 2 GDPR. That does not, however, remove the respect owed to the people who come into your home.
Settings to check
Voice recordings
- Review your voice history in the device app: you can listen to and delete individual recordings.
- Turn on automatic deletion after a short period, if available.
- Turn off human review of recordings, if the option exists.
- Use the voice deletion command that some assistants offer to delete your last request.
Microphone and camera
Almost all smart speakers have a physical button to mute the microphone, often with an indicator light. Use it during private conversations or when you have guests. For devices with a camera, a physical lens cover is the simplest safeguard.
TV content recognition
In the TV's privacy settings, look for options relating to recognition of on-screen content and personalised advertising, and switch them off if you are not interested in recommendations based on what you watch.
Accounts and connections
- Review the apps and services linked to the assistant, such as voice shopping or third-party integrations.
- Set a code for voice purchases to avoid accidental orders, especially if there are children at home.
- Turn off voice recognition of individual family members if you do not need to tell who is speaking.
Guests, family and domestic workers
People who enter your home have not chosen to be recorded. Some good practices:
- Tell guests that there are voice assistants and indoor cameras.
- Mute microphones and cameras during visits and private meetings.
- For babysitters, cleaners and carers, indoor cameras raise further issues: the household exemption does not automatically apply when you film a person who works for you. They must be clearly informed, and areas where they need privacy must not be filmed.
When you sell or give away a device
Before handing on a smart device:
- unlink it from your account in the app;
- carry out a factory reset;
- delete recordings, maps and associated data from your account.
Without these steps, the new owner might access your data, or you might keep receiving data from their home.
In short
- Voice assistants send audio after the wake word, but accidental activations can happen.
- Review and delete your voice history and turn on automatic deletion.
- Use the physical mute button for the microphone and lens covers for cameras.
- Inform guests and domestic workers, who have not chosen to be recorded.
- Before handing on a device, unlink it from your account and restore factory settings.