Smart assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant have become everyday staples in many homes thanks to their convenience. However, if you aren’t cautious, voice assistants may end up listening to conversations unintended for them. So, how can you prevent this from happening?
- Understand how the assistant is programmed to turn on (e.g., wake words like “Alexa, Ok Siri”) and how it’s turned off. Recordings are usually sent to the manufacturer’s servers, and employees may listen to them when managing quality assurance. It’s wise to check the settings on your device and opt out or limit the data sharing.
- Delete old recordings or check if there’s an auto-delete option.
- Read privacy policy updates.
- Have separate password-protected accounts for each person in your home if possible. Set a passcode for your email if you can, and for online shopping, turn off voice ordering when you are done.
- Create strong passwords (longer is better, as well as a mix of upper and lower case letters, symbols, and numbers). Another layer of protection is to use multi-factor authentication.
- Research how to better secure your router, such as by setting up a VPN.
Striking the balance between convenience and privacy requires using all the layers of protection you can. You can still have anomalies, so it’s wise to be mindful of sensitive conversations around voice assistants.
Important note for homebuyers and sellers: In Ohio, the law allows for one-party consent when it comes to recording conversations—meaning only one person involved in the conversation needs to be aware of the recording. However, this does NOT give homeowners blanket permission to record potential buyers during showings. Buyers are not part of a shared conversation with the seller, and secretly recording them—especially audio—can raise serious privacy concerns and ethical issues. Sellers should disable or turn off smart devices, cameras, and voice assistants during showings to avoid unintentionally crossing legal or moral boundaries. Buyers should also be mindful that devices may still be active and avoid discussing sensitive topics while touring a property.