This is Nosy Eye. Where we always say “trust, but verify”… even if it comes from ya mother.

Here’s what we got for you today:

• Smart home products may be a little too smart

• Action Tip of the Day

Protecting Your Data in a Connected Home

Man, everything is so connected these days. As consumers, it’s a fascinating and convenient experience.

As paranoid privacy advisors, it is a challenge making us work for every dollar we earn.

That brings us to smart products, specifically the ones we use in our homes. The most intimate space there is.

These devices collect vast amounts of that intimacy including your voice, search history, health information, and the blueprints of your home.

All of which are used for a range of purposes such as:

• highly-targeted advertising

• personalized content recommendations

• and even law enforcement investigations.

The big problem is the lack of transparency and accountability around this collection and use.

What Kind of Data Do They Collect?

Smart home devices collect a wide range of information, including:

Voice: smart speakers and other voice-enabled devices are designed to respond to your voice commands, which are recorded and stored in the cloud. Those secret conversations aren’t so secret anymore.

Search History: your search queries, browsing history, and other online activity is no longer just for you. Also this is where VPNs can fall short.

Sensitive Health Information: Your sleep patterns, heart rate, and other biometric data. Depends on the product and their requirements for you.

Location Data: Tracking your movement inside your home, time trends of activity, and behavior.

One of the core problems…

…with all this data collection and storage is the security behind the companies, or lack thereof. These guys are just as prone to breaches as anyone else. This leaves your info out to dry waiting for 3rd parties to pick it off.

Here’s What You Can Do

1. Make sure to use strong passwords and two-factor authentication to protect against unauthorized access.

2. Review privacy settings to limit the amount of data that is collected and shared.

3. Be mindful of your voice commands and conversations. It’s better to imagine if someone else was in the room listening.

Now ask yourself whether or not you’d like for them to do so. And with the rise of AI voice changing and development, your voice will be used for training data without your consent.

4. Make sure to install software updates for your smart home devices to ensure they are protected against known security vulnerabilities.

Action Tip of The Day

Don’t use smart home devices. Seriously.

We’re usually not this absolutist, but you can do just fine without them. Even with convenience as a consideration.

But in case you’re not willing to budge, look for the crudest versions of them.

You know, the ones without all of the cameras, WiFi, and features they really don't need to get the job done.

In short, get as dumb a device as you possibly can.

That’s all we have for you today. See you next week.

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is strictly educational. Please do not use easily identifiable data online, as you do not know who is going to give it away