Smart Home Privacy: Cameras, Speakers and TVs

Smart home devices make the home easier to run, and they also put cameras, microphones and viewing data inside it. The privacy question is who can see or keep that data, and what you can switch off.

This guide uses real cases from US regulators and the vendors' own announcements, then gives practical steps for cameras, speakers and smart TVs.

Sources were checked on October 21, 2026. Where I could not verify a vendor setting, I say so.

The short answer

Start by listing every connected device in your home and what it records.

Then turn off what you do not use, set speakers to save nothing, switch off smart TV viewing tracking, and keep your network and device software up to date.

The cases below show why this matters. Employees have viewed customers' camera videos, a voice assistant kept children's recordings, and TVs have captured what people watched without telling them.

What each device can collect

Device	What it can collect	A documented case
Cameras and doorbells	Video of your home and visitors	FTC and Ring, 2023
Smart speakers	Voice recordings and requests	FTC and Alexa, 2023
Smart TVs	Records of what is on the screen	FTC and Vizio, 2017

The table is a summary of the cases below, not a ranking. All three kinds of device have also been the subject of other complaints.

Cameras and doorbells

In May 2023, the FTC settled a case against Ring.

It alleged that every Ring employee and a third-party contractor in Ukraine could access every customer's videos, stored unencrypted, and that one employee viewed thousands of videos of female users in bedrooms and bathrooms.

Ring paid $5.8 million, which was issued as customer refunds, and had to delete customer videos and data including faces from before 2018. Amazon, which owns Ring, said it disagreed with the FTC's claims and denied violating the law.

Cameras that recognize faces

Some cameras identify people by face. Google's familiar face detection needs a Google Home Premium subscription and is not available for cameras based in Illinois. Google says that, depending on where you live, you might need consent to identify visitors.

Our guide to facial recognition and biometric privacy explains the law and the accuracy findings. If you do not need the feature, leave it off.

Smart speakers

The FTC and the Department of Justice charged Amazon in 2023 with violating the children's privacy law by keeping children's Alexa voice recordings and location data, despite parents' deletion requests.

Amazon paid a $25 million civil penalty and said it disagreed with the claims.

In March 2025, Amazon ended the Echo setting called Do Not Send Voice Recordings, which processed requests on the device.

It worked on three devices, only in the US with English, and Amazon said fewer than 0.03% of customers used it.

Amazon moved those users to a Don't save recordings setting. Recordings still go to the cloud and are deleted after processing, and Voice ID does not work with that setting on.

If you use an Echo, that is the strongest option left.

Amazon told customers the change supports generative AI features that rely on its cloud, as it rolls out Alexa+. That is Amazon's stated reason, and I did not test how the new setting behaves.

Smart TVs

In February 2017, the FTC and New Jersey settled with Vizio for $2.2 million. They alleged that Vizio's TVs ran automated content recognition, or ACR, turned on by default, capturing second-by-second information about video on the screen.

The FTC said Vizio shared the data with third parties for audience measurement and targeted advertising, without enough disclosure or consent, on about 11 million TVs.

The order required Vizio to get affirmative express consent and delete data collected before March 2016.

Look for ACR in your TV's settings. Names vary by maker, often under privacy, terms or viewing information. Switch it off if you do not want your viewing used for advertising.

Vizio told the press that its program never paired the viewing data with personally identifiable information such as names or contact details. The FTC's complaint and Vizio's statement differ on that point.

Standards and local control

Matter is an industry standard for smart home devices. The Connectivity Standards Alliance says it aims for reliable and secure connectivity, including consistent and responsive local connectivity.

I have not verified how any specific Matter device handles your data. Choose devices that work locally when you can, but check each maker's privacy policy.

Steps to take

This section is our advice, built on the cases above.

1. List your devices: Write down every camera, speaker and TV, and what each records.
2. Remove what you do not use: An unused device is still a microphone or a camera.
3. Set speakers to save nothing: On Echo, use Don't save recordings.
4. Switch off TV tracking: Find the ACR or viewing information setting.Off
5. Check who can see your camera: Review account sharing and who has access.
6. Use a separate Wi-Fi network: Put smart devices on a guest network if your router has one.
7. Update everything: Install firmware and app updates.
8. Use strong, unique passwords: Turn on two-factor sign-in where it is offered.

Questions to ask before you buy

Does it work without an account? Can I turn off recording or face recognition? Where is data stored, and for how long? Can I delete it? Does the maker say it can share data with other companies?

Check these on the maker's privacy policy or help pages, not just the box. If a company cannot answer clearly, treat that as a reason to choose another device.

Frequently asked questions

How private is a smart home?

It depends on the devices and your settings. The FTC cases above show that cameras, speakers and TVs have all been involved in privacy complaints.

Can smart speakers listen all the time?

They listen for a wake word. What happens after depends on the maker's settings, which is why the Don't save recordings option matters on Echo.

Should I put smart devices on a separate network?

Our advice is to use a guest network where your router offers one.

Does Ring still let employees see my videos?

The 2023 settlement required changes and deletion of older videos. Read Ring's current privacy information for how it handles access today.

How do I stop my smart TV tracking me?

Find the ACR or viewing information setting in the privacy menu and switch it off. The wording varies by maker.

A quick checklist

• List your connected devices.
• Turn off features you do not use.
• Set Echo speakers to Don't save recordings.
• Switch off ACR on your TV.
• Use a guest network and update your devices.

Up nextHow online tracking works: cookies, pixels and fingerprintsCameras and speakers are only part of it. Read our guide to how online tracking works.→