In most cases you can opt out of this, but how do you know if a device has actually stopped spying on your activities? How can you tell if a device that isn’t officially intended to collect and share data is doing so anyway? It’s not always easy or 100% reliable, but there are signs to look out for.
Your technology sees more than you think
The companies that make our smart gadgets use all kinds of euphemisms for digital surveillance to make you more likely to click “I agree” when you read the privacy agreement. That is, if you bother to read it. This is why TV makers could use technologies like ACR or Automatic Content Recognition to shamelessly snoop on all your TV activity, without people realizing they had actually consented to it. Even worse, it’s an opt-out system, meaning unless you say “no,” the answer is taken as “yes.”
The telemetry and analytics can include app usage, viewing behavior, voice clips, location, and detailed metadata about other devices on your network. The signs that a device is doing this are usually subtle, but that’s not the same as being invisible.
The subtle signs of silent surveillance
Often, detecting espionage is more about noticing a strange pattern over the course of days, weeks, or months, rather than a single dramatic smoking gun. Some general things to look out for are:
A battery-powered device suddenly drains the battery quickly and becomes unusually warm even if you don’t do anything with it.
Network activity spikes leave your home network from devices that don’t need to communicate significantly outside your LAN.
Ads that appear to specifically reflect the interaction you’ve had with a device for which you haven’t agreed to data sharing.
Permissions change after an update or after a certain period of time. Some manufacturers are sneaky and use updates or policy updates to reset your privacy options, or subtly get you to agree to reset them without actually knowing you’re doing so.
The outgoing traffic lights from your router or ONT are flashing when you don’t expect it and you have no explanation for it.
None of these are definitive, but they may be a tip that you need to do further investigation into the data leaving your home network.
The usual suspects: gadgets that like to listen
While any internet-connected device is a potential traitor, some are more likely the culprits based on how they work, what permissions they request, or simply a reputation for questionable privacy practices from obscure brands.
Smart speakers and other devices with voice assistants that activate with a ‘wake word’ are always listening and recording. That means they have the potential to ‘accidentally’ send the recorded voice data to a server somewhere.
Smart TVs, where, as I said, nowadays standard technologies such as ACR are activated.
Smart cameras and doorbells are notorious for this. Especially if it is a cheap model from an unknown brand, or even a counterfeit device.
Mobile or smart TV apps that ask for broad permissions unrelated to their core functions.
In my opinion, these are the most likely, but you should consider every network device as a potential threat.
How to catch your devices in the act
You don’t have to be a network security expert to figure out that a device is doing something suspicious; I’m certainly not.
Nowadays you can use a tool like Thread shark to perform advanced analysis of your local network traffic, but the truth is that many modern routers have apps or interfaces that give you all the basic tools you need.
For example, my TP-Link Deco mesh router system shows my information on individual devices and even lets me change their individual network permissions to ensure they can’t send data somewhere I don’t like.
If you have such a modern router system, you can find the devices you suspect in the client list and then view the data about the traffic. Does it send large amounts of data at regular intervals? Is that expected behavior? Be aware of frequent outbound connections, large uploads, or connections to unknown domains.
Normally, you can block all outgoing traffic for a specific device on your router’s dashboard. Devices such as smart TVs will of course no longer work if you do this, but a local IP camera that only monitors you from your LAN or a smart light bulb has no reason to communicate with the outside world.
Check all your app permissions and remove permissions from apps that don’t need them. Uninstall any apps you no longer use. You may need to do this again after a major OS update.
Check your smart device menus for labels like “diagnostic,” “telemetry,” “enhanced product experience,” and the like. Turn it all off.
Lock down your digital life
If you think a device is sending data you don’t want, you have a few options. For example, you can place your IoT devices on their own isolated network. There are several ways to do this, but many modern routers allow you to create a virtual network for a subset of devices. To be safe, change the default username and password on remote login devices.
If the device you’re concerned about is a well-known brand, you may want to look up what specific privacy measures people have in place, or whether there is any evidence of actual privacy violations with that device. If you have devices of uncertain origin, it’s honestly better to just disconnect them and replace them with something that’s a devil we know.
#gadgets #spying #catch #act