How to plan your smart home — and weigh privacy risks
You might have heard of lights that turn off with an app or voice command. Or window shades that magically rise every morning.
Technology companies are pushing the “smart home” hard, selling appliances and gadgets that offer internet-connected conveniences you didn’t know you needed. But before you succumb to the temptation, consider that these devices might also give companies and hackers a key to your home.
Here’s how to get started on your smart home and what to think about along the way.
Starting that smart home
A smart home can encompass features as simple as remotecontrolled lamps and as sophisticated as thermostats that know when you’re home and turn up the heat automatically. Down the line, you may want to mix and match these tasks into routines, such as a wake-up ritual that automatically starts the coffee maker, lifts the window shades and plays the news.
With the right tools, you can check remotely whether you remembered to lock the doors — and lock them if you forgot. Some systems can also create temporary digital keys for guests and contractors.
The risks
There are some concerns to keep in mind. Many devices are constantly listening for commands and connect to corporate servers to carry them out. Not everyone is going to be comfortable with live microphones in their homes (though your phone may already be doing the same thing, if you had enabled features such as “Hey Siri” and “OK Google”).
Check which safeguards a device offers before buying. Smart speakers, for instance, typically have a mute button to disable the microphone completely. Mozilla’s Privacy Not Included project seeks to warn consumers about products with security or privacy problems. The Google Home Hub.
In general, it helps to stick with major brands, as their corporate reputations are at stake if they’re caught taking shortcuts. Bigger companies can also quickly fix security holes that crop up. Gadgets from startups and noname brands may offer little or no protection.
Bigger companies, however, are also more likely to use your data for marketing. So consider the trade-offs.
Leaving a digital trail
Even if a product works as intended, it may be leaving a record that can resurface after hacks, lawsuits or investigations.
Manufacturers, for instance, typically store the voice commands their gadget sends over the internet and use that data to help them personalize their services — and, potentially, advertisements. These voice snippets may include conversations in the background. Reputable brands let you review and delete your voice history; be sure to do so regularly.
And think twice about smart locks and their digital keys. In a child-custody dispute, for instance, your ex might subpoena the records to learn that you’ve been staying out late on school nights. If you rent, a landlord might suspect an unauthorized occupant if you create a guest key that’s used daily.
Choosing a system
As cable and internet services become commodities, the companies behind them are turning to smart homes for new sources of revenue. AT&T’s Digital Life and Comcast’s Xfinity Home offer cameras, door controls and other smart-home devices.
Consider which company’s services you’re already using heavily.
If it’s Amazon, then devices powered by its Alexa digital assistant might work best. There’s a range of Alexa products, including refrigerators and washing machines. You can command an Alexa microwave oven to “reheat one potato” instead of having to look up how many seconds. It’ll also reorder popcorn with a command — from Amazon, of course.
Apple has products under the umbrella of HomeKit, while Samsung has SmartThings. Some products will work with more than one digital assistant.