To truly take control of your data, it’s important to understand what these devices collect and what practical steps users can take. This article breaks down the risks, shows what tech companies are doing, and offers simple steps to help protect your personal information.
The Expansion of IoT: Smart, but Always Watching
The Internet of Things (IoT) means everyday gadgets now connect to the internet, and to each other. These include:
- Smart speakers like Alexa or Google Home
- Fitness trackers such as Fitbit or Apple Watch
- Smart home appliances
- Home security cameras and locks
They make life easier, but also collect a lot of personal info, often without you noticing. A speaker might pick up background conversations. A tracker logs your steps, sleep, heart rate and even your location.
All of this creates a digital profile of your daily life. Most people don’t read the long privacy policies, so they never realise just how much they’re giving away. And as smart homes become the norm, it’s common for households to have ten or more connected devices operating simultaneously, each with its own unique data stream. These devices often work together and collect similar types of information, such as your habits, movements, and even your health. Something as simple as changing the thermostat or unlocking a smart lock can show when you're home, how many people live with you, and what your daily routine looks like.
It’s not just smart home owners who are affected either. Public and shared spaces, like Airbnb rentals, co-working hubs, and smart offices are all equipped with IoT tools that silently log user behavior.
Everyday Examples of Passive Tracking
| Device Type | Data Collected | Potential Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Smart speaker | Voice recordings, usage times | Unintended recording of conversations |
| Fitness tracker | Heart rate, location, sleep cycle | Health profiling, location tracking |
| Smart fridge | Food preferences, camera images | Targeted ads, consumption profiling |
| Video doorbell | Visitor logs, motion sensor footage | Surveillance concerns |
What makes these risks even more concerning is the false sense of control. People assume they have opted into a limited form of monitoring, but in many cases, data collection continues well beyond the intended use. The terms of use rarely reflect the real extent of data harvesting, and the tools to push back are either hidden or hard to navigate.
The Privacy Dangers: What’s Really at Stake
Behind the appealing interfaces and sleek designs of IoT gadgets lies a concerning lack of data governance. Some of the main risks include:
1. Continuous Data Collection
Most IoT devices are "always on" and gather data in the background. With apps and websites, it's easier to manage what you share. But smart devices often don’t have clear settings to turn things off. Even when you’re not using the microphone or camera, they might still pick up sound or images. Some smart TVs, for example, have recorded what people watch or listened for keywords during conversations, just to show more targeted ads. It means you could be sharing more than you realise, even when you're just relaxing at home.
And because these devices blend into our daily lives, we rarely question them or realize how often they’re ‘listening’.
2. Weak Security Practices
- Many devices lack regular software updates or require manual updates that users ignore.
- Default passwords are rarely changed by owners, making devices vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
- Insecure communication channels can be exploited for data interception.
The problem is even worse with inexpensive or off-brand gadgets that don’t offer regular firmware support at all. Once a vulnerability is discovered, there’s often no way to fix it - leaving users exposed without even realizing it.
3. Third-Party Access
Your data doesn’t just stay with the device manufacturer. It may be shared with:
- Advertisers
- Data brokers
- Insurance companies
This is often outlined in lengthy privacy policies that few users read or understand. Some companies anonymize your data before sharing it, but research shows that even anonymized data can be re-identified with surprising accuracy when combined with other datasets. In many cases, you have no way of knowing who has access to your data or how it will be used in the future. Sometimes, these policies are intentionally designed to confuse, using legal language and vague terminology to mask how freely your information flows between parties.
4. Loss of User Control
Once data is collected, it's hard to know where it goes. Even deleting an app or unplugging a device doesn't guarantee that your information has been erased from all servers or third-party archives.
| Risk | Example |
|---|---|
| Passive listening | Voice assistants recording unintended audio |
| Unauthorized sharing | Health data sent to third-party marketers |
| Outdated firmware | Hackers exploiting known security flaws |
| Inadequate privacy controls | No way to fully delete collected user data |
Even when users request deletion under laws like the GDPR or CCPA, enforcement is difficult. Some companies lack proper deletion systems; others simply ignore requests until challenged legally.
Tech Responsibility: Who’s Protecting What?
The role of technology companies in data privacy is often reactive rather than proactive. While some leaders in the industry are pushing for more transparency and user control, many others lag behind.
Some efforts being made include:
- Push notifications for permissions - apps now often request explicit user consent.
- Two-factor authentication - increasingly common but still not standard across devices.
- Transparency reports - some companies publish details on how they handle user data.
Tech advocacy groups have also pressured companies to adopt “privacy by design” principles, which build data protection into a product from the start. Still, adoption remains inconsistent. It often takes public backlash, a major data breach, or legal action before companies act.
However, issues persist:
- Devices are frequently shipped with poor security.
- Privacy policies remain vague, often using legal jargon.
- Firmware updates are inconsistent, especially for older models or budget devices.
Even when updates are available, users are often unaware or hesitant to install them for fear of breaking something. Some devices don’t even notify users when critical updates are released.
Protective Steps: How to Guard Your Privacy
While systemic change is still adapting, individuals can take meaningful actions to safeguard their personal information.
Practical Tips for Smart Device Users:
- Disable unused features - Turn off microphones or location tracking when not needed.
- Review privacy settings - Many devices allow users to limit what is stored or shared.
- Delete unnecessary data - Regularly clear usage history or stored recordings from device apps.
- Change default credentials - Replace factory-set usernames and passwords immediately.
- Update firmware regularly - Check for and install security updates as soon as they're available.
- Limit device access - Avoid connecting sensitive tools to untrusted Wi-Fi networks.
- Be cautious with new purchases - Read reviews that focus on data handling and privacy practices before buying.
It’s worth taking the time to perform a “device audit” every few months. This involves reviewing what’s connected to your network and whether each device still serves a purpose; if it doesn’t, consider disconnecting or factory resetting it.
Note: A cheap, feature-rich device with no clear privacy policy might cost more in the long run, through data exposure rather than dollars.
Rethinking Convenience in a Connected World
Smart devices aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they’re only getting more advanced as AI and automation continue to evolve. We’re already seeing how tools once limited to big corporations are becoming more accessible, even for individuals and small businesses. But with that progress comes more data and more decisions.
Our lives are more connected with technology than ever. It’s less about what the tech can do and more about what it’s doing with your data. Making smart choices about the devices you use helps you stay in control. The burden of protection is slowly shifting to users themselves. Unless consumers demand better standards, many companies will prioritize profit over privacy. Being informed is now a form of defence, just like locking your front door or shredding sensitive documents.
AI and Cybersecurity: A Changing Landscape
Artificial intelligence plays a growing role in both defending and attacking digital systems. While AI tools help detect malware, monitor network behavior, and secure authentication processes, the same technology is used by cybercriminals to automate phishing campaigns or find weak points in large systems.
U.S. intelligence agencies have warned that this arms race could become one of the defining cybersecurity challenges of the next decade. It’s no longer enough to rely solely on software protections; users need to actively manage their digital footprints across all smart platforms.
