Feeling safe in your own home is one of the most important factors for home owners across the globe and it seems that the prospect of being subjected to privacy breach through the development of technology found in the home is a growing concern for residents in Britain after a survey revealed that 84% of those questioned were sceptical of home technology gadgets and applications.
Mobile phones have quickly become a part of everyday life for many and the thought of having to spend the day without their phone close to hand strikes panic into many, with some jokingly claiming that they only feel complete when they have their phone with them, however the reliance seems to stop there after those questioned began to show resistance towards potential in-house technology that could well just be around the corner.
Home technology has come a long way in recent years and now spans from anything from colour changing lightbulbs controlled through a smart phone application right down to taking control of the temperature in your home at the tap of an app but although the concept behind giving you control of these items remotely is designed to make your life easier, it seems that privacy and security concerns are enough to leave the UK feeling like they aren’t necessary.
In a survey that we found that was conducted by Blinds 2 Go, a UK based blinds company, 84% of the 1,000 people questioned revealed that potential moving forward of home based technology is a growing concern for many because of fears that things such as your lighting, blinds or curtains or even your washing machine could be controlled by someone else.
Naturally the applications that are associated with existing products within the ‘control with mobile’ format have taken steps to ensure that this is prevented but with cybercrime a real threat and something that is reported widely across the world, it seems fear of a stranger being able to control elements within your home is enough to put those questioned off making their home more tech savvy.
The results of the research conducted by the blinds company revealed that although many would consider the thought of fitting blinds that were able to be opened or closed remotely, 35% of those asked feel that they would prefer to retain manual control over them, while 36% would rule out the potential of buying a washing machine or dishwasher that could be controlled via an app.
App controlled devices within the home aren’t a thing of the future specifically, simply because there are various products already available on the market that allow you to control things within your home without the need to be physically there, such as the Hive wireless thermostat which is available at a very affordable £199 here.
Although these products are supposed to help to make those daily tasks a little easier, it seems that the UK simply isn’t ready to embrace a life controlled via their mobile just yet.