Aging in the Smart Home
Valerie Steeves, Percy-Campbell Jessica · 2023
This chapter focuses on aging in a smart home. It examines digital home assistants (DHAs) - the “brain” behind a functioning smart home. This chapter initiates a conversation about the consequences of using corporately controlled surveillance devices to provide care, especially as a replacement for a human caregiver. The chapter also explores the potential for abuse, through privacy violations by devices such as “always on” microphones and practices such as encouraging the adult children of PwD to search their parents’ devices to see how they are being used or to “drop in” by remotely turning on cameras or audio to check what the user is doing. There is also a possibility of abuse by device manufacturers revealing private conversations and activities. DHAs can also be used to manipulate and defraud older adults. For example, cybercriminals can create DHA services that lure users to sites which mimic banking or other important services.