Amazon Alexa's "sinister side" is to be investigated by MPs over concerns that smart speakers may be spying on their owners.
The digital, culture, media and sport select committee is launching an inquiry to explore how virtual assistants such as Alexa and Siri, as well as wearable technology such as Fitbits, affect their users and the implications for privacy and data collection.
The committee said its inquiry would "examine the risks and rewards from the rising popularity of connected tech in the home and beyond, whether it should be properly designed to protect everyone in society and to what extent the current rules governing smart technology are fit for a rapidly changing future".
The committee said it would also look into security concerns and the risk of hacking and cyber attacks. MPs said they would look into both the benefits and the threats of the technology, as well as their impact on different parts of society.
It will look at which groups in society may particularly benefit from or be vulnerable to the increasing prevalence of smart technology, such as young and elderly people, as well as people with disabilities.
MPs will also consider how best to incentivise or encourage design that is “safe, secure, environmentally and user-friendly and human rights compliant”.
It comes amid a growing backlash against technology giants over the way that they collect and use data from their customers. Even though many of these devices are ubiquitous in homes across the UK, many customers do not understand how their personal information is used by technology companies.
Julian Knight, the Conservative MP who chairs the committee, said: "The innocent little box sitting inconspicuously in the corner of the room would seem to offer the ultimate in convenience, magically serving up information on demand, turning on lights or delivering a vast array of music.
"With such a smart set-up connected to the outside world, however, there is always the danger it will have a more sinister side, with users potentially sacrificing privacy, put at risk of cyber crime, or left open to uncovering harmful content online.”
