That device on your counter heard your family’s gift reactions. It heard everything.
Let me tell you what happened in millions of American homes yesterday. Families gathered. Gifts were opened. Conversations happened—private conversations, family conversations, the kind of conversations you think are between you and your loved ones.
But there was another listener. Your smart speaker was working overtime on Christmas.
Smart Speaker Christmas Surveillance Mode
When I worked in IT for 22 years, we didn’t have devices that listened 24/7. As I’ve documented extensively, these systems are designed to capture data. And Christmas is a data goldmine.
Think about what was said near your smart speaker on Christmas morning. Gift preferences. Reactions to presents. Complaints about relatives. Political arguments. Financial discussions. All of it. Captured. Transmitted. Analyzed.
The Christmas Data Harvest
Consider what they learned. Who in your family liked what gift? That’s purchasing data. Who argued with whom? That’s relationship mapping. What did the children want that they didn’t get? That’s next year’s targeted advertising.
By next October, you’ll see ads for exactly what your disappointed nephew mentioned wanting. Coincidence? I worked in IT for over two decades. There are no coincidences in data collection.
What I Did Differently
My wife Carol has what she calls a “smart speaker.” I unplugged it on December 23rd. She plugged it back in. I unplugged it again. We reached a compromise: she uses it when I’m not home, and I pretend not to know.
But for Christmas itself, I insisted on silence. From the device, I mean. Furthermore, I paid for all gifts in cash, wrapped them in paper that obscured what was inside, and gave them in a room without connected devices.
Carol said I was “being paranoid again.” I said I was being careful. The smart speaker Christmas surveillance apparatus doesn’t care if you believe in it or not. It just listens.
Your family’s holiday memories are now corporate assets. I hope you had a Merry Christmas. They certainly did.
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