More and more of us are opting to have smart devices at home. Those who bet least on this type of technology at least have a modern mobile phone or a Smart TV. As demand for these connected devices continues to grow, many users are concerned about their privacy. To what extent is our information “listened to” by companies? Can we limit the data that brands have about us?
Smart TVs, as with any device today, must ask users for permission to access the microphones. This means that even if your controller or Smart TV has a microphone, it will not be able to access it. In theory, it shouldn’t record what you say if you don’t have that permission enabled, and most apps don’t do it unless you’re using it at the time.
As the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky explains, “constant analysis of the audio streams of millions of users would require enormous computing power and would be financial folly.” Not even the advertising revenues generated would be able to cover the costs of such a strategy. Kaspersky gives an example of what a voice-to-text conversion costs in Google Cloud: 0.3 cents per minute. If three hours of voice recognition were recorded per day, companies would need to spend around $200 per year per customer.
Although they do not use microphones to listen to us constantly, some voice assistants such as Google or Alexa record what we say after mentioning “Ok Google” or “Alexa.” In the case of Amazon’s assistant, there are independent studies that confirm that they have used information to target ads on their platform. If you don’t want that to happen, it is best to activate privacy functions on the Smart TV.
Smart TV functions so they don’t “listen” to you
Although listening to Smart TVs does not directly mean that brands are spying on us, it is an issue that raises concern among many users, especially those who are very strict with their privacy. If you are one of them, it is essential that you take measures to protect your data. One of the first actions you can take is to disable microphone permissions on your Smart TV.
The process to do so is as simple as entering the television settings, accessing “Preferences” and going to “Privacy Settings.” Among the options they will give you, you will see the cases in which voice recordings are used. Here you can disable these functions and adjust the parameters of your television so that it only listens to what you really consider important.
In addition, from the settings menu, you have the possibility of managing the use that your television makes of your data. For example, if you have your Smart TV linked to a smart speaker or other device, you can limit the exchange of information between the two. This not only helps reinforce privacy, but also maintain control over your data.
Another key aspect to guarantee your privacy is to review the applications installed on your television. If you find one that you no longer use or that does not inspire confidence, it is best to delete it. By doing so, you significantly reduce the risk of rogue programs collecting information or using your microphone without your consent.
Although there is a fear that smart devices with microphones are always listening to us, this is not the case. That would not be profitable for companies, as we have already explained above. However, that does not mean that there are no worried users and removing app permissions is the solution in those cases.
