Latest tech – Are your smart devices listening to what you say?

Do you have a Smart TV? Have you ever wondered just how smart it really is? Well, Samsung tells us that its Smart TV is able to use its voice recognition to not only listen to what you are saying, but actually record it and pass it on to third parties. Voice recognition is a great feature for those who find using a remote a tiring experience…or for those who really just want to use the TV for what it is designed for – the ultimate convenient experience!

Open “snooping policy” – it’s there in the smallprint

If you take the time to read the small print offered by the manufacturer on how the television works, you will in fact find a paragraph that advises you of how the television voice recognition software can capture and pass along the recordings.  This is said to be for the betterment of the device, so that Samsung can provide you with an improved service going forward. Consumers however have not taken too kindly to this! Of particular concern to consumers is what appears to be a warning, included in the small print from Samsung, that states; “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition.”

While it makes sense to collect voice recordings from Smart TVs to improve on the customer experience, some individuals are potentially worried about the information falling into the wrong hands.

What does Samsung have to say about this?

Apparently the company takes the privacy of their clients very seriously. Any data collected is encrypted and a variety of other security safeguards are also in place. Users can also ensure that their voice recognition microphone is off when having private conversations – it really is that simple. You can also activate or deactivate the voice recognition feature at any time or disconnect it from the Wi-Fi – problem solved.  While Samsung has been our main focus today, it’s worth acknowledging that other Smart TV manufacturers such as LG and Philips, as well as Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect and even some Android phones have also come under scrutiny when it comes to the potential collection of data and how it is protected.

At Soteria Cloud we appreciate that Samsung is taking steps to make the user experience safer and we believe that with data encryption and various security features, other manufacturers will follow suit. To learn more about how data encryption works and how it can safeguard backups and data, contact us via email or telephone at Soteria Cloud today.