Smart Vs. Safe

Smart home technology is becoming more and more popular, but not everyone wants these products in their homes. However, some residents don't have a choice.

Smart locks, security systems, lights, and more are also growing popular with apartment landlords seeking more tenants and money savings through energy and water use monitoring. But adoption is still awkward, personal data security vulnerabilities are common, and tenants often do not have a choice as to whether or not these devices are installed and connected in their homes, collecting data on them, which is then potentially sold to advertisers, CNET reports. Often, the only recourse for renters is to find a new home.

Daniel Bishop remembers the day he stopped feeling safe in his own home. In January, Bishop and his neighbors at an apartment complex in San Jose, Calif., got a message from their property manager. Every apartment was going to become a smart home, with a connected lock, water sensors, a smart thermostat and a wireless control hub to manage it all. Bishop, like many of his neighbors, didn't ask for this, and he didn't have a say in the change. There was a meet-and-greet event five days later for tenants who had questions, and then about two weeks later, the homes were fully converted.

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