Smart Appliances Are Everywhere. So Are the Privacy Risks.
Smart Appliances Are Everywhere. So Are the Privacy Risks.
Publish Date: 2026-05-19 16:24:00
Source Domain: www.consumerreports.org
Protecting Your Data While Making Peace With IoT Apps and AI
If you use home devices that connect to the internet, you’ll have to accept that in most cases they will collect data and send that data back to a company. But you don’t have to feel powerless to minimize the amount of information that’s collected, or to opt out of services you don’t really need. Here are seven tips to protect your data:
1. Keep the software current: On the protection side, Daniel says that one thing that’s important that many people don’t do with products that aren’t phones or computers is to keep the device’s software up-to-date. That can be a cumbersome process sometimes: Nobody’s combing the internet habitually looking for software to keep their vacuums and food processors secure. But, Daniel advises, “Make sure that to the extent that there are updates for those kinds of devices, that you do keep them updated, because that’s actually important.”
2. Look for firmware updates: That may require visiting the website for the product and looking at its support page to see if there are any firmware updates. An update might also be available within an app for an IoT device. If you’re concerned about the security of an appliance or gadget, reach out to the manufacturer to check if updates are available.
3. Review privacy settings: Daniel also suggests going into apps for devices and looking for any privacy settings that can be enabled and any data-collecting options to opt out of. “As little data as you can get away with and still have the device function,” Daniel says.
In some cases, apps are not intuitive to navigate, making it harder for some to figure out how to remove data-collection options or to enable enhanced privacy. In the past, some of that has been by design, with some tech companies accused of intentionally making it harder to avoid paid subscription services or hiding privacy options to…
