Is Your Smart Speaker Spying on You? The Truth about IoT Devices.

Article written by: Lakkshanasre Viyasarramanujam

Article designed by: Lakkshanasre Viyasarramanujam & Palak Tiwari

Do you have a smart speaker, like a Google Home or Alexa, in your kitchen or bedroom? Imagine asking your smart speaker to play that new song, but did you ever wonder what else it's listening to when you haven't said 'Hey Google'? After all, many wonder the same after studies have shown that the “adoption of connected devices in the U.S. saw steady growth with ownership of smart speakers up 50%” according to data recorded by the NPD group. Sometimes, it’s not just your smart speaker, but there's your thermostats or even doorbells/security cameras. Technology has evolved greatly from the past decades, and as we continue to depend on it, it’s important to assess its severity and consider the ethicality of these devices in our lives today. 

What are IoT Devices?

First, in order to understand how smart speakers and other similar devices work, we must understand what IoT devices are. IoT stands for Internet of Things. Simply put, they are physical objects that are embedded with sensors, software, or technologies that allow them to connect to the internet networks (usually wifi, Bluetooth, or cellular signals) and can exchange data with other devices within a system of embedded devices. 

Most IoT devices utilize mechanisms that allow them to get information about their environment, and many have sensors to do so to function. They detect and measure physical matters such as temperature, pressure, light, motion, or even voice, and are used for various purposes, including optimizing performance, improving efficiency, enabling remote control, or triggering automated responses. Some of these characteristics can be defined as passive (doesn’t require a power source) and active (does require a power source). 

So…What About Our Speakers?

Smart speakers are designed to listen to our voice commands and give a response accordingly, so in reality, they are listening – in a way. Most speakers, if not all, are usually woken up with a command like “Hey Google” or “Hey Alexa,” so for them to respond, it is necessary for them to listen to our conversation, passively, looking for those keywords. With passive listening, they analyze background noise or sound patterns that match the command to wake them up. Once this is set, the speaker starts recording as it activates its microphone. Once the dialogue is completed, it is sent to the manufacturer, where they usually process and send a dialogue back to the user for a response. According to this, these smart devices are systematic and functional for the product’s use, thus fully enhancing the experience by working very systematically. 

Yet, this can mean that the kind of data we compromise can record our habits, preferences, features, which can be used to help improve its performance over a period, but have consequences for the privacy of our networks. These features are always marketed as part of the product and are usually promised that this data won’t be compromised by actual humans behind the product. However, this can be false. 

According to a TIME article released in 2019, they state that some Amazon workers do still have to listen to conversations recorded by Alexa to translate the information that the users ask, which helps them feed more information or use them to improve their response otherwise (time.com). Either way, much of the information we release to our smart speakers can be compromised really easily, and with few consumers having really secure networks, this can pose a problem. 

Take Responsibility for Your Privacy

Our data is crucial; therefore, we must be extra cautious to maintain your privacy. Take steps to secure and minimize its risks by reviewing the privacy settings and knowing what kind of information your product is tracking, most probably by reviewing the company’s guidelines. If your smart speaker has any settings available to your connected device, make sure you can review those and adjust it as per your comfort level.  

Some other practices include: 

• Muting or turning off your speaker when it isn’t necessary 

• Making sure your devices are secured with a strong password and use multi-factor authenticati on whenever it is possible

• Choosing a trustworthy brand, often with credited reviews

• Changing your privacy settings 

To feel more secure using smart devices every day, it’s important to take these few final precautions. Periodically reviewing your security and privacy settings is a simple, but effective habit. By taking an active role in protecting your information, you can confidently enjoy all the benefits your smart devices offer. After all, you're in control.

Works Cited

Bose. “What Is a Smart Speaker and How Does It Work?” Bose.com, Bose Corp, 12 Oct. 2023, www.bose.com/stories/what-is-a-smart-speaker?srsltid=AfmBOopRRmyWoLpBgWgjcSb2nqoZNazl4YY3PaExBAgdiMj5Dqx96-r8. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

“Enhance Your Smart Speaker Privacy in 3 Steps – Nationwide.” Nationwide.com, 2025, www.nationwide.com/lc/resources/cyber-resource-center/articles/smart-speaker-security. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

Gruenwedel, Erik. “NPD: Ownership of Smart Speakers Grew 50% since 2020 in the U.S. - Media Play News.” Media Play News, 28 June 2022, www.mediaplaynews.com/npd-ownership-of-smart-speakers-grew-50-percent-since-2020-in-the-us/. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

Hartmann, Emilie. “How Smart Speakers Can Compromise Your Privacy.” Moxso, 6 May 2024, moxso.com/blog/how-smart-speakers-can-compromise-your-privacy.

IBM. “What Is the Internet of Things (IoT)?” IBM, 12 May 2023, www.ibm.com/think/topics/internet-of-things.

Posey, Brien. “What Are IoT Devices? - Definition from TechTarget.com.” IoT Agenda, Aug. 2023, www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-device.

“Smart Devices Spy on You – How the IoT Can Violate Your Privacy – Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.” Umbc.edu, 14 Mar. 2022, news.cs.umbc.edu/2022/03/smart-devices-spy-on-you-how-the-iot-can-violate-your-privacy/. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.