Intelligent household helpers are becoming increasingly popular. The intelligence is in the cloud. This leads to data protection issues as data is constantly being sent over the internet. The TTDSG as an implementation of the ePrivacy Directive also plays a role here, although it does not concern cookies, but updates.
In episode seven of the Privacy Deluxe Podcast, we talk about smarthome devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Nest. We, that’s Frank Kremin and me.
Such devices are characterized by a very good voice recognition from. They are usually activated with a signal word, such as “Alexa”. Star Trek enthusiasts can also use “computer” as a signal word.
Speech recognition allows people to give commands intuitively. In order to recognize speech, it is incorporated into the smart home device and sent over the Internet to its own computer infrastructure, which is often used as a cloud referred to if.
Amazon uses the rich data received through Alexa for: product improvement, whatever that might mean. Fortunately, the user is allowed to disable this option. A data protection officer would ask for permission and not work with the right to object. Amazon may not be a company with an affinity for data protection.
Having your smart home device permanently activated can potentially expose you to constant scrutiny, at least in terms of device perception. Anyone who trusts Google must wonder whether Mahatma Gandhi would have chosen the motto “Do no evil” for himself. Anyone who trusts Amazon should know that Jeff Bezos hates books and “just” started a bookstore to make money.
The TTDSG has been in effect since December 1, 2021. ยง 25 TTDSG also regulates access to smart home devices. updates, that are functional should therefore be approved by the user. It would be different with pure security updates or bug fixes. In the podcast we also talk about safety.
In the podcast we wander a bit and also talk about Tesla and Elon Musk. The Tesla Head wants to colonize Mars, I was told by two Tesla drivers who also rent Teslas and own Tesla stock.
The previous episodes of the Data Protection Deluxe Podcast are: