How to Audit Smart Home Privacy Settings

Secure your smart home ecosystem by auditing permissions, voice history, and data sharing settings across your connected devices.

1. Audit voice assistant history. Open the Amazon Alexa app, navigate to More > Settings > Alexa Privacy. Select Review Voice History and set the toggle to delete recordings automatically after three months or immediately. Disable the Use of Voice Recordings to Improve Amazon Services option to prevent your audio from being used for machine learning training.
2. Restrict third-party skill permissions. Within your primary smart home controller, locate the Connected Accounts or Permissions menu. Identify every third-party integration that has access to your cameras, microphones, or location data. Revoke access for any device or service you no longer actively use.
3. Disable camera cloud backups. Access your camera manufacturer’s app and navigate to Storage or Cloud Settings. Disable automatic cloud uploads if you prefer local storage via an NVR or microSD card. If cloud storage is required, enable two-factor authentication for the specific account managing your camera stream.
4. Limit location-based automation. Go to your smartphone Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Scroll to your Home automation app and set Allow Location Access to While Using the App. Disable Precise Location if your automations only require a general geofenced radius for triggers.
5. Update firmware and security patches. Check the firmware version for every smart device via the manufacturer's mobile application. Enable Auto-Update if available to ensure critical security patches are installed immediately upon release. If an older device no longer receives updates, isolate it on a separate guest Wi-Fi network.