A survey conducted by the University of British Columbia (UBC) found that not only are people worried about outside parties invading their privacy by hacking smart devices, but that friends, family and others also have access to those devices.
The team found that consumers were not only worried about keeping their data safe from the manufacturer or other entities, they feared potential misuse of Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple HomePod by the people they live with or know.
“They worried that their housemates could order stuff online, overhear private conversations or access other people’s reminders, calendars and phone contacts,” said Konstantin Beznosov, a professor of electrical and computer engineering who specializes in cybersecurity at UBC. “Of course, they were aware these actions could well be unintentional — such as a child accidentally using the last-number-dialed feature to call up their parent’s employer, for example.”
Users were concerned that the device fails to distinguish the main user’s voice from other voices, meaning that other users could have access to information they should not. Users with basic knowledge of how smart speakers work were more focused on housemates’ potential actions and sometimes this meant seeing a threat where there was none.
According to the researchers, one participant was concerned that his family members might redial a number he had previously called, unaware that the feature was not available on the device. UBC said this is the first study to explore the mental models people shared about smart speakers and to link those models to attitudes.
Smart speakers are owned by one in four U.S. adults and one in five Canadians to stream music, get weather, control other smart devices, get news and much more. But since these speakers are commonly shared among housemates, UBC suggests device makers consider these consumer concerns and provide technical support to manage these risks.
