Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

One nation, on camera: Internet-connected doorbells promise security but raise privacy alarms

Once a futuristic luxury, internet-connected home cameras have become reasonably common — and relatively cheap. Around 33 million American households — 27% — now use the cameras, according to an estimate from Parks Associates, a consumer technology market research firm.

For consumers, the benefit is clear: Constant or near-constant surveillance that can catch burglars in the act and provide clarity on anything that happens outside their homes. But with these systems almost always relying on cloud-based storage and analysis, many technologists have noted that they are ripe for abuse, particularly as they become more complicated and attached to increasingly advanced analysis systems.

In Guthrie’s case, it appears that even without the requisite subscription plan to have the Nest camera fully operational, it did record and transmit video of someone coming to her door the morning of her disappearance.

From the article, "One nation, on camera: Internet-connected doorbells promise security but raise privacy alarms" by Kevin Collier

Previously In The News

Is AI branding backfiring?

Recent findings, including a study by Parks Associates, reveal a paradox that marketers must tackle: branding a product as “AI-powered” may alienate more consumers than it attracts. Parks Associate...

The Education of Roku’s Anthony Wood

As viewers across America embraced streaming TV, the number of households watching TV on Roku-powered devices mushroomed from 9.2 million to 90 million between 2015 and 2024. Its platform revenue expl...

A Coldplay kiss cam goes viral and a CEO quits as morality police weigh in

At the same time, the prevalence of doorbell cameras, video boards, and retail and government surveillance systems create more ways for people to be filmed. With the massive growth of video devices in...

Why It’s Better To Not Assume Customers Want AI

A separate study described in the WSJ article, conducted by Parks Associates, confirms this trend. Of roughly 4,000 Americans surveyed, 18% said AI would make them more likely to buy, 24% said less li...