"Unplugging Doubt"

Sauvik Das, assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute, and fellow researchers have explored how to disable smart speakers' microphones and provide users with perceptible assurance that they are not being recorded. Many users know that their smart speakers have built-in microphones, but they are unsure when the speakers are recording data and what data is eventually transmitted and processed. Smart speaker manufacturers are commonly companies that gain significant benefits from collecting users' personal data, but there are privacy risks. In their paper titled "Powering for Privacy: Improving User Trust in Smart Speaker Microphones with Intentional Powering and Perceptible Assurance," Das and collaborators introduce the concept of "intentionally powered" microphones. The authors created Candid Mic, a wireless, battery-free microphone that can only be powered by energy harvested from intentional user interactions. This article continues to discuss the research that broadens the possibilities for a novel category of deliberately powered sensors, allowing users to reap the benefits of smart environments while maintaining their privacy preferences.

CyLab reports "Unplugging Doubt"

Submitted by grigby1