Over the last few years, “Alexa, what time is it?” and “Okay, Google turn on my music” have become just common phrases in most homes and offices. With the introduction of voice assistants like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, tasks have gotten easier to do with a simple voice command. In the recent times, there has been an increased concern over privacy with these tools.
A research mentioned in TechCrunch identifies what people are concerned about as the popularity of voice assistants increase. More than half, 52% of people believe that their information is not secure while 41% said they are being actively listened. Privacy concerns are on the rise as people are even admitting to seeing ads tailored to what they were talking about near their voice assistants.
To address this issue, two professors from the University of Chicago created “a piece of digital armor” called the bracelet of silence. This device was engineered to emit ultrasonic signals to jam voice assistants by ensuring that the high frequency sound gets picked up by the devices instead of conversations.
This invention is not the first of its kind; in the past decade, there have been multiple wearable devices created to protect the privacy of the user. Because these devices are large and cumbersome to wear, it might take some time for the public to be open to adapting them. As technology gets more advanced each day, there is a greater chance for personal security and privacy to be compromised.
How will this device help?
- Increase trust within voice assistant users by ensuring that the device is not listening at all times
- Information is secure and privacy is not compromised
- Companies will not be able to track user’s interests and preferences and limit targeted ads
- Control over user’s own privacy
The Bracelet of Silence is a proactive move towards improved privacy. With technology getting more powerful by the day, security and privacy should not be compromised at any level. This affects a person’s trust; trust is important to get any tech product running off the ground. More devices like the Bracelet of Silence are being constructed to help rebuild the privacy. One downfall for blocking voice assistants from listening can affect marketing tactics and targeted ads. Some companies rely on this strategy to hook the right customer at the right time, but with devices like the Bracelet of Silence, this strategy can be lost. If privacy is a concern in technology, more and more companies are acknowledging that. The Bracelet of Silence serves as a stepping stone in this journey for privacy.
Articles mentioned: The New York Times and TechCrunch
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