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Do you inform visitors that you have smart devices when they visit your home?

Lisa Miles
Reading this really interesting article on the BBC website where Rick Osterloh from Google suggests that visitors should have the right to know that smart devices (Alexa, Google Assistant, Smart Security Cameras etc) are present and in use before entering your home.

So this got me thinking... I do have Alexa enabled speakers but I've never thought to inform any visitors. Do we need to though? Has it got to the point where so many of us have these types of devices in our homes that it's a given that they're there? What happens if someone objects?

What do you think?

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    Legh Richardson:

    I'm reminded of the man walking at 4 mph in front of the first motor vehicles with his red flag.




    They still have a rally through my village every year to celebrate the repeal of the law!   (Otherwise known as the London to Brighton rally - it is actually great to see all the old cars still running - well, most of them with the occasional casualty at the side of the A23)

    However with regard to smart speakers, etc., my feeling is that if you are recording your visitors (either audio or video) such that it could be saved and/or uploaded then you may be inadvertently breaking the law if you don't tell them and get their agreement, but I will defer to the wisdom of someone with more legal experience than myself for a definitive answer. I suspect that if it is only speakers that can be switched on or off by alexa then it may not be a problem. (As an aside, I was listening to Radio 2 in the car on the way home and somebody emailed Steve Wright to ask what would happen if he (Steve Wright) said "Alexa, Stop" on his show. Would the listener's speakers switch off? Steve Wright said it but there was no feedback - perhaps various people around the country were too busy wondering why their radio just turned off.)

    Alasdair

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  • 0

    Legh Richardson:

    I'm reminded of the man walking at 4 mph in front of the first motor vehicles with his red flag.




    They still have a rally through my village every year to celebrate the repeal of the law!   (Otherwise known as the London to Brighton rally - it is actually great to see all the old cars still running - well, most of them with the occasional casualty at the side of the A23)

    However with regard to smart speakers, etc., my feeling is that if you are recording your visitors (either audio or video) such that it could be saved and/or uploaded then you may be inadvertently breaking the law if you don't tell them and get their agreement, but I will defer to the wisdom of someone with more legal experience than myself for a definitive answer. I suspect that if it is only speakers that can be switched on or off by alexa then it may not be a problem. (As an aside, I was listening to Radio 2 in the car on the way home and somebody emailed Steve Wright to ask what would happen if he (Steve Wright) said "Alexa, Stop" on his show. Would the listener's speakers switch off? Steve Wright said it but there was no feedback - perhaps various people around the country were too busy wondering why their radio just turned off.)

    Alasdair

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