While the adoption of smart home systems is growing, so too is the concern that the devices being installed and deployed in homes are introducing some very real privacy and security concerns.

According to a recent study from CraftJack, a lead generation service for home contractors, a third of Americans worry about their smart devices being hacked, with Amazon Echo, security cameras, Google Nest, video doorbells and smart TVs topping the list of devices Americans worry could be hacked.

The data raises an interesting conundrum, as 42% of Americans use smart cameras to monitor their homes, but a quarter of respondents worry that the camera can be hacked. In fact, there are notable examples of security cameras being hacked due to poor security controls.

However, consumer education of the security of these devices appears to be low, as 72% say they don’t know how to see if their smart devices have indeed been compromised, according to the study.

Some even refuse to use smart devices due to concerns over them being hacked, such as smart TVs, smart speakers from Amazon and Google, security cameras, and smart locks.

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However, it’s not just being hacked that has smart home device owners concerned, as privacy issues are leading one third of Americans to turn off devices for fear of being listened to or tracked. In addition, 61% believe their devices are always listening to them and 62% say they received a targeted ad after talking near a device.

While 35% are most worried about hackers and malicious actors eavesdropping, 15% are concerned about potential government surveillance and 16% are wary of advertisers listening to their conversations to send them ads.

Despite these concerns, 32% of Americans say they have more than six smart devices in their home, with TVs, speakers, doorbells, lights, security cameras, thermostats and other devices making up the most popular smart home technology.

In addition, 53% report feeling more safer in their homes because of smart home devices, and 55% say they would never go back to living in a house without smart devices.

The expense of these devices isn’t holding homeowners back either, as the average spent on smart home technology is nearly $800, not including an average monthly spend of $125 on smart tech subscriptions.

According to CraftJack’s study, Americans say these devices make their lives easier, as 60% cited convenience as their top reason for suing smart technology. Another 42% cited the better overall living experience, and 36% cited ease of voice activation.

Unsurprisingly, the study found that Amazon’s Alexa is the most popular voice assistant at 58%, followed by Google Assistant at 32% and Apple’s Siri at 29%.

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