AI Voice Assistants Are Listening

Is Our Data Safe with Voice Assistants?

A whopping 61% of smart-assistant users say they’re concerned about their voice assistant listening to them in the background. It’s currently estimated that roughly 142 million U.S. adults use voice assistants on their devices. It’s easy to understand the cause for concern — especially if you’ve ever accidentally tripped your home assistant, and had the experience of Alexa asking out of the blue whether you need your laundry picked up. Oops. 

Unfortunately, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Samsung’s voice assistants do collect information about your contacts, location, and interactions. Voice assistants are built to listen in on your conversations. That’s how they operate. The truth is that your voice  assistant records and shares your information with their company every time you interact with them or even around them — which can sometimes occur without your knowledge.

The technology used in these assistants is sensitive enough to work, and while it was developed for convenience, there’s no doubt that users are paying a price for that. Once again, it’s increasingly important for the average person to be educated in the technology they consume in order to make the best decisions possible for their own digital safety and privacy needs. One family may feel comfortable with a high level of interaction and data sharing, while another may decide that they are not willing to sacrifice privacy. Hearing that sometimes even company employees listen in, many consumers have become wary of activating these ai assistants, although they acknowledge they can make life easier. 

So, while “False Accepts” are the primary cause of a voice assistants turning on and recording an interaction without someone saying the activation phrase, devices do also record while people speak around them, and there is actually a lot more data collection than what was originally disclosed. As consumers become more educated about data privacy, they express curiosity about how to handle their own data safely. Data security is becoming more of a priority, as well as a conversation nationally. 

So What Can We Do To Secure Our Voice Assistants? 

There are different voice assistants already involved in our day to day lives. All smartphones come with voice assistants already embedded in the OS. These you cannot delete. However, you can disable them in your phone’s settings. In regards to home voice assistants, you can always opt out of buying those products altogether — but if you need them, you can limit their data collection. You can do this by hooking up only what is absolutely necessary for your needs, and protect it from all other users with user control settings and passcodes. Unless you want your children or guests to be able to shop on Amazon, be sure to check who is linked to your Voice Assistants and password-protect those features. Convenience is great, but you have to judge for yourself the value that offers over privacy. Accidents can happen, and understanding the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and device handbooks will also help to prevent misunderstandings when setting up these connected iOT smart devices.

Changing your passwords often is also key. Don’t make the rookie mistake of using too simple of a password — this is a common fail when people are looking to hack into devices. Use a strong password generator or put some thought into your password, make it a mix of upper and lower case letters, symbols, and change it every few months. Don’t use your birthday or anything commonly associated with you publicly. Don’t reuse passwords, because a hacker can always try to reuse passwords if they successfully get into one account using it. For more tips to keep yourself safe, check out this Password Checklist.

When you have Wi-Fi at home, and in use, for devices like a voice assistant, or even your smartphone, or various other devices like your laptop, always be sure to secure your router. This is where your home base is, and it is where a lot of cybersecurity failures occur in the home. 

Encrypt your network. End-to-end encryption is the only way to truly secure data. Encryption essentially just scrambles everything and makes it impossible to read and use. It’s truly the gold standard of protection. You can call your internet service provider to ask how to set up encryption through your router, and they should be able to help you. And encrypting your router will also protect all your activity, not just your voice assistant. A unique password for Wi-Fi prevents non-household members from accessing your personal network. Still having trouble? Contact the manufacturer directly.

Where Can I Find More Info On Data Privacy and Voice Assistants?

Ultimately, the goal is to protect all your devices. Just as hackers can get to your data through unsecured networks, they can also get to your network through unsecured devices. To find tips on locking down your devices, read about keeping your devices secure. The FTC has a lot of good information on data privacy, and tips on how to secure your devices and your home. They also have hotlines and resources for people who need extra assistance. 

Categorised in: Data Privacy

This post was written by Staff Writer