A recent study has revealed that German citizens place a higher value on data privacy in relation to smart home technology than other Europeans. This has a significant impact on the use of devices such as smart speakers like Alexa, connected door or TV cameras. The study, conducted by Amazon’s Ring, found that Germans are more focused on protecting their data in the smart home compared to other Europeans. According to an international survey by Ring, an estimated 88% of Germans actively use the data protection features of their smart home devices. This is a significant increase from 2021, when only 42% of them used these features.
Germany ranks first in Europe, followed by France (85%) and the Netherlands (83%), while the UK lags behind at 67%. Over a third of Germans have activated all or most of the protection features. The study also found that knowledge about security settings and data protection features in smart home devices has increased. More than half of the respondents claim to understand and operate these features better today than two years ago, with 56% feeling fully competent in handling the settings of their devices. However, almost two-thirds of the participants still see potential for improvement.
It is important to note that the setting options vary among smart home device providers. According to the Ring study, 38% of Germans surveyed had already been victims of email account hacking, compromised passwords, or unauthorized data sharing. Germany ranks first in Europe, followed by France (33%), the Netherlands (31%), and the UK (24%). However, the study also highlights that the respondents claimed to be most responsible for data protection. Both users and companies and manufacturers of smart home devices have a responsibility to ensure the data security and privacy of their customers.
According to a Ring survey, 61% of respondents believe they are responsible for the security and data protection of their smart home devices, compared to only 49% in 2021. Manufacturers are named as the second most responsible (44%), followed by retailers (19%). This shows an increasing awareness of responsibility for personal data security and privacy when using smart home devices. The study was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Ring and included a total of 5,116 participants from Germany, France, the UK, and the Netherlands.
