Digital Assistants and Privacy: Is there an Echo in here?

​Do you remember when business people carried around personal digital assistants like Palm Pilots and Blackberries? Fast forward to today, when almost 72 percent of the U.S. population has smartphones, and our lives are full of voice-activated and networked cars, lights, cameras, appliances, and more. To manage all the smart devices in our lives, we often use virtual assistants such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, or Apple HomePod. In addition to playing music, turning on lights, or finding recipes, these virtual entities can learn, adapt, and grow their abilities to meet our needs.

​As virtual assistants find their way into more and more homes, privacy experts have begun to raise concerns about the security of these devices. For example, the Echo uses its microphones to record what’s going on around it. Amazon says the information is to help them learn about activities in the home that might benefit from voice control. However, between the constant recording of the household’s activities and the fact that virtual assistants can control everything from your thermostats to security cameras and door locks, there are security risks.

​Adding to the concern, research has shown that virtual assistants can be controlled by commands undetectable by human ears that can be embedded in audio files such as music, video, or commercials. Imagine someone putting inaudible commands in an online ad soundtrack to secretly open your door locks or buy themselves merchandise through your virtual assistant. Another risk is that some of the newer devices include cameras that could be used for spying, especially with the “drop-in” feature that allows a remote user to start a video feed from your device.

​But before you get too creeped out and fire your virtual assistant, take heart. The manufacturers do give you some security controls. For example, within the Alexa app, you can view your recording history and delete any or all of the recordings attached to your account. You can also turn off the “drop-in” feature to prevent video spying. Setting up good security on your home wi-fi network will also help protect your virtual assistant from being hacked or hijacked. And, as with any device, you should read the privacy policy before using it, choose the strongest privacy settings, and review the privacy settings regularly.

​If you’re still concerned, know that these systems are all designed with one inherent failsafe. As one brilliant user observed, “If you’re really that worried, unplug it.” No matter how convenient and devoted your digital staffer may be, there may be times when powering down is appropriate.