Homeowners are increasingly concerned about data privacy in smart home products, according to Copeland.
Homeowners see smart devices as boosting home security
Homeowners are still generally comfortable in using new technology, but this year smart thermostat non-owners are less likely to feel comfortable using new tech compared to 2022 levels.
Smart device owners tend to be younger compared to non-owners with more from the boomer generation. However, 2024 homeowners are less likely to consider themselves as early adopters/tech-savvy of (26%) in 2024 than in 2022 (36%). Even smart thermostat owners follow this trend (from 53% in 2022 down to 36% in 2024). Non-owners of smart thermostats are even less likely to feel comfortable using any new technology this year.
In 2024, homeowners are more likely to feel that smart devices provide added security. Hence, there’s an increase in ownership of smart doorbells, smart home security systems, smart smoke detectors and smart door locks.
Ownership of smart thermostats, smart TVs and appliances are also significantly more this year compared to 2022. Smartphone control in thermostats has become more attractive. Features like remote monitoring and control resonated better with homeowners this year.
“As we can see by the rise in ownership of smart home products, homeowners are increasingly looking for convenient ways to automate their lives and expand control over their home environments to save on energy costs,” said Lisa Plaggemier, Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance. “But what’s most concerning is that more than half of homeowners don’t understand how data from their smart thermostat is collected and used – particularly as AI becomes nearly ubiquitous. This should be a resounding call for transparency among smart tech manufacturers.”
Rising data security concerns with smart home devices
While the study shows that homeowners with smart home devices are more concerned than ever about the security of their data (27% in 2024 versus 23% in 2022), their understanding of and attitudes toward smart tech and data privacy show a critical gap.
Homeowners are more likely to be concerned about data privacy in 2024 than in 2022. Both owners and nonowners of smart thermostats expressed less confidence in whether the manufacturers of smart thermostats use their data responsibly in 2024 compared to 2022. 52% don’t have any idea of how data is collected from smart thermostats.
Homeowners who don’t own a smart thermostat are less likely to be confident that manufacturers use their customers’ data responsibly compared to those who own a smart thermostat (58% versus 73%), which could be evidence of a barrier to purchase.
Only 14% of homeowners who owned smart thermostats said they researched a manufacturer’s data privacy policy before purchasing a smart thermostat. And yet, 7 out of 10 homeowners are willing to replace their thermostat with one that provides more privacy, with millennials more willing (80%) than other groups.