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Before buying an AI-enabled connected device, check what information it collects, whether it sends audio or video to a cloud service, how the manufacturer uses data, which privacy controls you can operate, and how long security updates are promised. Then assess account security, support for children and other household users, and whether the product’s essential functions depend on an account or internet connection. “AI-enabled” alone does not tell you what a particular device records, shares, or uses to train AI; those answers must come from that model’s documentation.
Start with the product’s actual data practices
Connected products vary widely. A camera-equipped device, a smart speaker, and an appliance with an AI feature may collect different information for different purposes. Do not assume that a device records continuously, stores recordings, or sends them to the cloud just because it uses AI. Before purchase, find the privacy notice and product-specific help pages for the exact model, and look for plain answers about what is collected, why, how often, and with whom it is shared.
Separate what is required from what is optional
Make a list of information that could be involved in your intended use: audio, video, location, contacts, photos, health information, or details about household routines. For each type, ask whether it is needed for the product’s core function or only for an optional feature. A feature may work differently if you decline a permission or disable a setting, so look for that explanation rather than treating every requested data point as essential.
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- What information does the device collect, and how often?
- Does information stay on the device, go to a phone app, or reach the manufacturer or another organisation?
- What purpose does each kind of collection serve?
- Can you use the main function without enabling optional collection or sharing?
- How long is information retained, and how can you erase it?
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) consumer guidance on smart products recommends checking what information is necessary, what else is collected, and whether information is shared with other organisations and why. That page says its guidance is under review following changes made by the Data (Use and Access) Act. Treat it as consumer guidance, not as a substitute for checking the device’s own current documentation or the law that applies where you live.
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Ask whether product data is used to train or improve AI
Look for a direct statement about whether information from the device or its companion app is used to train or improve AI systems. Check whether the policy distinguishes between data needed to provide a feature and data reused for another purpose, and whether it offers a way to opt out or limit that reuse. A statement that a product has AI features does not establish that its data is used for model training; equally, a general privacy promise may not answer this specific question.
The ICO’s IoT accountability guidance asks providers to consider whether using personal information collected through an internet-connected product to train generative AI remains compatible with the original collection purpose and whether a new lawful basis is needed. For a buyer, the practical step is to find the manufacturer’s explanation and controls. If the product documentation does not make the use clear, ask the seller or manufacturer before purchase and decide whether the uncertainty is acceptable for the data the device may encounter.
Review the companion app’s permissions and settings
A connected device may rely on an app installed on a phone, and the app may request access to the phone’s microphone, camera, approximate or precise location, contacts, or photos. Permission requests can be needed for particular functions, but they are not automatically necessary for every use of the product. Check the permission prompt and the app’s explanation, then consider whether the feature you want justifies that access.
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- Can a permission be denied without disabling the device’s core function?
- Can location access be limited to when the app is in use, or set to approximate rather than precise location?
- Does the app explain why it needs camera, microphone, contacts, or photo access?
- Can account settings limit sharing or personalized advertising?
- Are privacy controls available to each household user, or only to the account holder?
Phone operating systems and app settings change, so look for the current controls on your own device rather than relying on an old screenshot. The ICO advises consumers to use privacy controls when permissions seem excessive and notes that some products may not need additional information. A permission you can refuse is still worth examining: confirm what stops working, rather than assuming either that refusal is harmless or that the access is indispensable.
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Look for physical controls on cameras and microphones
If a product has a camera, check whether it has a physical camera cover. If it has a microphone, check whether it provides a physical microphone switch; the ICO cites this as a feature a buyer may value in a smart speaker. Read the product documentation to learn what the control actually does and how to tell when it is active. A camera cover addresses only the lens it covers. A microphone switch is a device control, but its operation should be verified for that product. Neither control proves that the device collects no other information or that all data processing has stopped.
For a camera-equipped device, a compatible webcam privacy cover can be an optional accessory, but it needs to fit the particular device and must not obstruct anything else the product needs. It is not a substitute for checking app permissions, account settings, data sharing, or the microphone. Do not buy a cover on the assumption that it disables recording or network access; it physically covers a lens.
Find the security-update commitment for the exact model
Security support affects how long a connected product can receive fixes after you buy it. Look for a stated minimum period of security updates for the exact model, when that period begins or ends, and how updates are delivered. Consider device firmware as well as the companion app and any cloud service that is part of the product. A general statement that a manufacturer “supports” its products is less useful than a clear duration and a defined update policy.
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Check what happens during an update or outage
Updates can affect practical use. The UK Code of Practice says basic functions should continue during an update wherever possible, using a watch, thermostat, and lock as examples. For a device whose essential function matters—such as a lock or thermostat—check the product documentation for what happens during an update, a failed update, or a service outage. This is a question to ask about the particular model, not a guarantee that every product will continue working in those situations.
Also check whether the device requires an internet connection or cloud account for the functions you care about. The manufacturer’s documentation should say which features work offline, if any, and what stops working when the service cannot be reached. Do not infer offline capability from a device’s physical controls or from the fact that it can connect to a local network.
Assess passwords, account protection, and vulnerability reporting
Check how you create and protect the account that controls the device. Look for a clear account-security setup and available protections such as multifactor authentication. Find the manufacturer’s public route for reporting a security vulnerability, and check whether it explains how reports are handled. Marketing language alone cannot establish whether the manufacturer’s internal systems use encryption correctly or how consistently it maintains them.
The UK consumer connectable-product security regime took effect on 29 April 2024. Within its scope, baseline requirements include banning universal or easily guessed default passwords, publishing information about how to report security issues, and publishing minimum security-update periods. The rules apply according to product and legal scope, so they should not be treated as universal requirements for every connected device sold everywhere.
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In an announcement dated 11 June 2026, the ICO described security as an ongoing obligation, including regular updates, encryption, and multifactor authentication. The announcement’s broader point is useful to buyers: security is not a one-time setup feature. Look for evidence of a continuing update commitment and usable account protections, while recognizing that a consumer cannot verify internal technical implementation from a product listing alone.
Use a higher privacy bar when children may use the device
If children will use a device or are likely to encounter it, check the age guidance, child profiles or access controls, and the manufacturer’s explanation of how children’s information is handled. Consider what a child can say, see, record, or change through the device, and whether an adult can manage those settings without exposing more household data than necessary.
The ICO’s accountability guidance says that, under UK data-protection rules, products aimed at children or likely to be accessed by them should have high privacy settings by default and collect and retain only the minimum personal information needed. This is guidance for providers under UK rules; it is not identical legal wording for every country. For your purchase, look for a concrete child-safety and privacy explanation rather than relying only on a general claim that a device is family-friendly.
Check how the device fits a multi-user household
A product may be used by more than one person even if one person buys it and owns the main account. Ask whether other household members can have separate profiles, what information each profile can access, and whether one person’s settings govern everyone. Consider guests and people who may be recorded or otherwise affected without being account holders. If the device handles especially personal information, make sure other users understand what it can collect and how to disable relevant features.
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The ICO’s IoT accountability guidance includes questions about multiple users and the product lifecycle. The useful buying implication is to consider how privacy controls work for the household as it actually exists, not just for the person who installs the app. If the documentation does not describe shared access clearly, ask how users are added and removed and what happens to their information when access ends.
Take extra steps with a second-hand or inherited device
A used device, or one that came with a home, may still be connected to a previous owner’s account or retain information from earlier use. Before relying on it, find the manufacturer’s documented factory-reset process and check whether it removes the former owner’s access. Confirm that the model still receives security updates and that the warranty or support policy transfers if that matters to you.
- Locate the manufacturer’s reset instructions for the exact model and follow them; do not assume removing the app from a phone resets the device.
- Set up your own account and review the device’s privacy and sharing settings.
- Review the permissions granted to the phone app that will interact with the device.
- Install available updates promptly, then check whether the model has a published update-support period.
- If you are leaving or transferring a device, erase information through its settings and consider deleting the associated account when you no longer use the product.
FTC consumer advice about smart devices included with a home purchase recommends resetting them, reviewing privacy settings and interacting-phone permissions, checking whether warranties and support policies transfer, creating an account, and updating devices promptly. That guidance was published in January 2018 and addresses the home-purchase context. The ICO also advises erasing information through device settings and considering account deletion when you stop using a product. Deleting the companion app alone may not erase device or account data.
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Compare products against the job you need them to do
When comparing products that meet the same need, use the same questions for each one and give more weight to the issues that matter for your use. The ICO’s consumer guidance supports checking data collection, sharing, permissions, privacy features, and settings; UK consumer IoT security guidance adds the importance of update support and security practices. These are comparison criteria, not a product ranking.
- Data: What is needed for core operation, what is optional, and how does the manufacturer describe sharing and retention?
- Controls: Can you limit app permissions and data use, and are there physical controls for sensors where relevant?
- Support: Is a minimum security-update period published for the exact model, and is the update process explained?
- Account security: Are account protections available, and is there a public channel to report security issues?
- Dependence: Do the functions you need rely on a cloud account or internet connection?
- Household fit: Can you manage children’s access and multiple users in a way that matches your household?
Weight those checks according to the product. For a camera or baby monitor, sensor access and physical privacy controls may deserve particular attention. For a connected appliance, long-term update support and continued basic operation may be more important. These examples apply the official guidance to common use cases; they do not establish the behavior or risk level of any unnamed product.
Questions to resolve before checkout
If a product page leaves a material point unanswered, ask the manufacturer or seller before buying. A concise set of questions can help you compare answers rather than relying on broad claims such as “private,” “secure,” or “AI-powered.”
- What information does this exact model collect for its core functions, and what is optional?
- Does audio, video, or other personal information leave the device, and for what purposes?
- Is product data used to train or improve AI, and what choices can the user make?
- What permissions does the app need, and what functions remain available if a permission is denied?
- How long does this model receive security updates, and where is the commitment published?
- What happens to essential functions during an update, failed update, or service outage?
- How can a household remove a user, reset the device, and erase associated information?
The ICO’s Executive Director for Regulatory Risk and Innovation, William Malcolm, said in its 11 June 2026 smart-device announcement: “Connected devices process some of the most sensitive data about people’s lives, from data about health to daily routines and family life. Product and device innovation holds huge potential to make a positive impact in so many areas of people’s lives, but that innovation must work for everyone.” The practical lesson for a buyer is to evaluate the specific product and household use, not to treat every connected device as having the same data practices or risks.
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