Amazon Alexa and Google Home top privacy concerns among home devices, according to new study

Smart home devices are becoming more prevalent these days, and more than 780 million users are expected to use these devices by 2028. However, according to an online report by Firstpost, along with the benefits of these devices, concerns about their data privacy issues always prevail over the cost and benefits offered by these smart devices.

Now, according to a new study conducted by SurfShark's research hub, Smart Home Privacy Checker, it has been revealed that one in ten smart home apps or devices collect data for tracking purposes, with Amazon's Alexa and Google Home being the most data-hungry devices.

Goda Sukakaite, privacy consultant at SurfShark, told Firstpost, “In today’s world, where convenience often trumps privacy, our research reveals a worrying trend in smart home device apps, especially from major companies like Amazon and Google. The issue goes beyond just data collection; it intrudes into users’ private lives, potentially leading to data theft, security breaches and uncontrolled sharing of personal information.”

They advised users of these smart home devices to take proactive steps such as reviewing privacy settings, minimising app permissions, and being aware of the data policies governing these devices. The research also noted that twelve of the 290 apps they analysed had not made any changes to their data collection practices in over a year.

In addition, the study found that Amazon's Alexa app collects 28 out of 32 possible data points, three times more than the average of other smart home devices, while Google Home collects 22 data points. All the data collected is linked to the individual user profile, which includes precise location, contact information, and health-related data.

As smart home devices are becoming increasingly common in most homes globally, users are advised to embrace this convenience while also minimizing the threats to their privacy that these devices may pose.