Zoe Ball has admitted she talks nonsense to her phone because she is “scared” it might be snooping on her private conversations. The radio host believes her algorithm changes after chats she has had out loud. But is your technology really keeping an ear out for things you say around the house? Here, we look at the evidence.
Smart Speakers: Always Alert
If there is one thing that really pays attention to you, it is your smart speaker. It sits in the corner, constantly alert, just waiting for you to say an activation phrase like “Hey Siri,” “Alexa” or “OK Google.” It starts recording when it hears one, then uploads the audio to the cloud so it can figure out what you said.
But it cannot tape continuously, or broadcast conversations, unless it has been hacked.
Smart Phones: Probably Listening
The AI assistant on your phone is basically a smart speaker. It follows the same rules – but in this case you can go to your settings and turn it off. What is not always clear is how it uses the information it collects.
There is no concrete evidence major ad platforms use audio data for targeting, which Google, Meta and Amazon all deny. Having said that, modern algorithms are so fiendishly clever, it can feel like they are reading your mind. To be on the safe side, check your settings whenever you download a new app. If you do not think it needs to access your microphone, you can always say no.
Household Appliances: Mostly Not Listening
If you have an older vacuum cleaner, it is probably not listening. Even smart vacuums rarely come with microphones. What they can do is take photos and make detailed floor maps of your homes. But according to manufacturers, these are either stored on secure servers or on the devices themselves.
Washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers are also almost certainly not listening. Even the smart models rarely have microphones. They would only get bored hearing you talk about your laundry – and to be honest, they cannot be all that clever. Otherwise they would realise you cannot use them at a distance, making all those apps completely pointless.
Home Security Systems: Yes, They Listen
Home security systems are listening. To be fair, you did ask for this. And if it is listening to you, it is definitely keeping tabs on any baddies lurking in your garden. Can you trust it with your information? As much as you can really trust anything. And remember, there is still time to go off and live in the woods.
