Are Smart Devices Jeopardizing Your Privacy? Nowadays our cell phones are constantly in our hands or at our ear. We go to bed at night cuddled up to the latest tablet and we wake up in the morning to the alarm from our Smartphone, that is but merely a foot away from our head. But is this modern age attachment to our technological devices jeopardizing our privacy?
This past week Samsung released a statement that your personal conversations could be recorded from your living room through the voice command feature on your Smart TV. These conversations could then be sent to a third party (software company) where they would be converted from voice to text.
Samsung originally advised that users should exercise caution and review the privacy outlines but have since adjusted their statement to comfort customers. They have clarified that they do not sell the information that may be collected and that the user does have the option to turn off the feature. By simply pushing a button on the Smart TV controller the user can deactivate the recording setting and with that provide a semblance of peace of mind in the comfort of their own home.
Samsung does have privacy measures in place, saying it’s Smart TVs, “employ industry-standard security safeguards and practices, including data encryption, to secure consumers’ personal information and prevent unauthorized collection or use.”
But even with those safeguards, as our technology gets smarter the concern for security and the loss of privacy grows. Who’s tracking your smart phone? Who can now access the GPS in your car? Who is turning on your gaming console to record audio?
This close surveillance of our technology is one of the reasons Ensil doesn’t allow cell phones on the property. There is no outside technology past the foyer door and all in-house computer software and systems are constantly monitored to warrant the highest security level be held at all times.
Being aware of the possible security infringements that your devices bring to your life will now have to be a form of common sense. When the drive for improved technology surpasses a place where individualistic privacy needs are respected, vigilance is key.