Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Smart speakers, doorbells, fitness trackers, smart TVs...even your insulin pump can now connect to the internet. But what are we really giving away in exchange for the convenience? Anna Maria Mandalari has spent years testing over 210 internet-connected devices in one of the world's largest IoT (Internet of Things) research labs — and the findings are unsettling. From smart speakers secretly recording conversations to TVs taking a snapshot of your screen every 500 milliseconds, this talk reveals what's really happening inside the devices we've invited into our homes.
Drawing on real-world research and investigations, Anna Maria explores the security and privacy risks hiding in everyday connected technology, the technical and social challenges of detecting these threats, and what industry, policymakers and individuals can do to build a safer, more transparent connected world.
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🗓️ Filmed at the Royal Institution on Wednesday 6th May 2026
Watch the Q&A here: youtu.be/RQVNByLwoY0
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Anna Maria Mandalari is a Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at UCL, Deputy Director of the UCL Institute of Communications and Connected Systems, and Director of the SafeNetIoT Laboratory. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at Imperial College London, a visiting Professor at Yokohama National University, and Secretary of ETSI TC CYBER EUSR, where she helps coordinate global cybersecurity standardisation efforts. She is also Chair of the Internet of Things Working Group at RIPE.
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: what are we trading for convenience?
01:36 Inside the world's largest IoT testing lab
04:30 How smart speakers like Alexa really listen to you
09:15 Smart TVs: the technology that's always watching
14:56 The hidden trackers inside AI browser extensions
21:43 Hacking a smart insulin pump
26:46 Do "IoT security" gadgets actually protect you?
38:04 Why your data matters more than you think
40:04 Building privacy tools that work without the cloud
45:51 New EU law and what needs to happen next
__________________________
This talk was filmed in the Faraday Theatre at the Ri by our production team
___________________________
Subscribe for regular science videos: bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
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and TikTok: tiktok.com/@ri_science
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#IoT #CyberSecurity #SmartHome #DataPrivacy #InternetOfThings #Hacking #SmartTV #Alexa #PrivacyMatters #TechNews #AIethics #SurveillanceCapitalism #UCL #RoyalInstitution #ScienceCommunication
Smart speakers, doorbells, fitness trackers, smart TVs...even your insulin pump can now connect to the internet. But what are we really giving away in exchange for the convenience? Anna Maria Mandalari has spent years testing over 210 internet-connected devices in one of the world's largest IoT (Internet of Things) research labs — and the findings are unsettling. From smart speakers secretly recording conversations to TVs taking a snapshot of your screen every 500 milliseconds, this talk reveals what's really happening inside the devices we've invited into our homes.
Drawing on real-world research and investigations, Anna Maria explores the security and privacy risks hiding in everyday connected technology, the technical and social challenges of detecting these threats, and what industry, policymakers and individuals can do to build a safer, more transparent connected world.
🔔 Subscribe for regular science videos: bit.ly/RiSubscribe
Become a member to unlock exclusive Q&A interviews with our scientists: youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
🗓️ Filmed at the Royal Institution on Wednesday 6th May 2026
Watch the Q&A here: youtu.be/RQVNByLwoY0
________________________
Anna Maria Mandalari is a Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at UCL, Deputy Director of the UCL Institute of Communications and Connected Systems, and Director of the SafeNetIoT Laboratory. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at Imperial College London, a visiting Professor at Yokohama National University, and Secretary of ETSI TC CYBER EUSR, where she helps coordinate global cybersecurity standardisation efforts. She is also Chair of the Internet of Things Working Group at RIPE.
________________________
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: what are we trading for convenience?
01:36 Inside the world's largest IoT testing lab
04:30 How smart speakers like Alexa really listen to you
09:15 Smart TVs: the technology that's always watching
14:56 The hidden trackers inside AI browser extensions
21:43 Hacking a smart insulin pump
26:46 Do "IoT security" gadgets actually protect you?
38:04 Why your data matters more than you think
40:04 Building privacy tools that work without the cloud
45:51 New EU law and what needs to happen next
__________________________
This talk was filmed in the Faraday Theatre at the Ri by our production team
___________________________
Subscribe for regular science videos: bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
The Ri is on Facebook: facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
#IoT #CyberSecurity #SmartHome #DataPrivacy #InternetOfThings #Hacking #SmartTV #Alexa #PrivacyMatters #TechNews #AIethics #SurveillanceCapitalism #UCL #RoyalInstitution #ScienceCommunication
