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Home Assistants

Introduction

Smart home assistants emerged in the mid-2010s, promising to revolutionize home automation and daily convenience. These always-listening devices, which respond to voice commands and control smart home devices, have become increasingly popular but also raise significant privacy concerns as they continuously collect and process data about our home lives and daily routines.

Providers

Amazon Alexa

The market leader in smart assistants has faced multiple privacy controversies. In 2019, Amazon admitted that employees listen to user recordings for training purposes, and in 2020, researchers discovered vulnerabilities that could turn Echo devices into listening devices. Alexa devices store voice recordings and extensive usage data in Amazon’s cloud.

Google Assistant

Google’s smart assistant integrates deeply with its ecosystem but collects extensive data. In 2021, it was revealed that Google continued to store audio recordings even after users opted out. The assistant tracks user behavior, voice patterns, and home activity to improve its services and personalize advertising.

Apple Siri

While Apple emphasizes privacy, Siri has had its share of concerns. In 2019, Apple apologized for allowing contractors to listen to Siri recordings without user consent. However, Apple has since implemented stricter privacy controls and on-device processing for many commands.

Home Assistant

An open-source alternative that processes data locally and doesn’t require cloud connectivity. It offers extensive smart home control capabilities while maintaining user privacy, though it requires more technical expertise to set up and maintain.

Recommendations

  1. Consider whether you truly need a smart assistant’s convenience
  2. Use devices with physical mute buttons and privacy controls
  3. Opt for assistants that process commands locally when possible
  4. Regularly review and delete stored voice recordings
  5. Create a separate network for smart home devices
  6. Disable features you don’t actively use

Actions

  • Review and delete stored voice recordings from your assistant’s history
  • Check and update privacy settings on all smart home devices
  • Set up a separate network or VLAN for smart home devices
  • Disable unnecessary features and third-party integrations
  • Update firmware on all smart home devices
  • Enable two-factor authentication if available
  • Consider switching to privacy-focused alternatives like Home Assistant