Is Your Refrigerator Spying On You?
In the world of smart televisions, smart clocks, smart dishwashers, and smart refrigerators, one question seems to come up a lot. "Are these devices recording or listening to what I do"? In many cases the answer is "probably so".
Senator Ted Cruz is teaming up with a Democrat for a bipartisan bill that would actually force companies to tell you if the product you purchase could spy on you by listening in or even recording your actions.
According to the Dallas Morning News, the spying on your grocery needs may not seem like national security threats at first, but there is still reason to have concern about being recorded.
But they also raise questions about information security, with a host of examples over the years where seemingly innocuous functions were exploited.
Hackers figured out how to use a smart fridge to steal the owner’s gmail credentials, according to The Register. WiFi-enabled barbies record and transmit words that come literally from the mouths of babes and can be hacked to share sensitive information.
And then there are other hypothetical concerns.
A smart refrigerator could share with the world how much beer its owner drinks, a smart TV could disclose all the racy movies one is watching or a smart vacuum how dirty the house is.
Concerns about privacy in the new interconnected world have produced calls for significant, comprehensive congressional action to safeguard consumers.
With the rise of smart devices being sold, shouldn't consumers know that their private conversations could be recorded at anytime? That's the point of the legislation, and I think the more knowledge consumers have is good.