New smart speakers can include a camera, and some street cameras had unclear owners. Here are 9 simple steps to check what is recording you.
A new smart speaker now comes with a built-in camera, and some cameras on public roads in Florida had owners no one would name. Today is a good day to check which cameras and microphones are in your life and who can see what they record. Below are 9 simple steps you can take today, plus one server check for small businesses.
What happened
Three recent reports share one theme. Know what is watching, listening or running, and who controls it.
- A smart speaker with a camera. Ars Technica reports that Amazon released the Echo Studio with Home Camera. A smart speaker is a speaker you can talk to, like one with Alexa. Amazon says Alexa can "see and understand what's in front of the camera." People can also use it to check on a room from far away.
- Cameras with unclear owners. St. Lucie County, Florida, found 12 Flock cameras that had no permits, Ars Technica reports. Five were later claimed by city police. The county says it lacks the resources to find who owned the other seven. Those cameras have since been removed. A Flock spokesperson said they belonged to several customers and that Flock does not share those details.
- A server flaw. The Hacker News reports a flaw in the Linux kernel. The kernel is the core of the Linux system that runs many web servers. The flaw is tracked as CVE-2026-98432.
Tips for your home and family
1. List every camera and microphone in your home
Walk from room to room. Write down smart speakers, doorbells, baby monitors, laptops and TVs. You can only control what you know is there.
2. Find the off button on each device
Amazon says that on all its Echo devices, a dedicated button turns off the microphones and any included cameras. Find that button on each device you own. Show it to everyone in your home.
3. Teach your family what the light means
Amazon says the Echo Studio with Home Camera turns on a built-in light when it sends images or video to the cloud. "The cloud" means the company's computers on the internet. If kids know what the light means, they can tell you when it is on.
4. Turn off the camera if you do not need it
The product page says you can turn off the camera in the Alexa phone app and still talk to Alexa. Amazon also still sells the standard Echo Studio with no camera. Before you buy any new device, ask yourself if you need a camera in that room.
Tips for you around town
5. Ask your local leaders about street cameras
In St. Lucie County, a resident named Hannah Galindo started a petition to remove the cameras. She told The Washington Post she was worried "that data could be anywhere." You can ask your city or county three plain questions:
- Who owns the cameras on public roads?
- Who can see what they record?
- How long is the video or data kept?
6. Point your own cameras at your own space
If you have a doorbell or yard camera, aim it at your door, porch or yard. Try not to record a neighbor's windows. This keeps you on good terms and respects their privacy.
Tips for travelers
7. Check your home camera app before you leave
Open the app for any home camera. Look at who has shared access, and remove anyone who no longer needs it. Change your password if you have shared it in the past. If your rental or hotel room has an Echo device, look for the button that turns off its microphones and any cameras.
Tips for small businesses
8. Ask your web host about the Linux fix
Anthropic said its AI model wrote an attack that uses this flaw. It lets someone far away, with no password, run commands as root on some Linux servers. This applies to servers using a feature called multipath TCP, which lets one connection use several network paths at once.
Here is where fixes stand, based on the report:
- Debian, Oracle Linux, SUSE and Amazon Linux have shipped fixes, at least for some of their kernels.
- Ubuntu and Red Hat Enterprise Linux had not shipped a fix as of the report. Neither gave a release date.
The sources do not agree on how serious it is. The kernel's own team scores it 9.8 out of 10. Red Hat's CVE page scores it 5.9 and says the attack is hard to pull off. Red Hat's advisory file, Oracle and SUSE score it 8.1. If you run a website, email your host or IT person. Ask if your server uses Linux and when the fixed kernel will be installed.
9. Write down your office cameras and who sees them
Make a simple list of every camera and smart speaker at work. Next to each one, write who can view it. Remove old staff accounts. Use your own login for each person, not one shared password.
Have a question about anything here? Email me at sales@appwt.com or call (888) 565-0171, and I will answer it.
Sources
- Amazon turns its most capable smart speaker into a smart camera, too, Ars Technica, 2026-10-28
- Florida county won't investigate sketchy Flock cameras removed by mystery owners, Ars Technica, 2026-10-28
- Linux Kernel TCP Flaw With 9.8 CVSS Score Affects Ubuntu, Red Hat and Other Distributions, The Hacker News, 2026-10-29
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the new Echo camera always send video online?
Amazon says a built-in light turns on whenever the Echo Studio with Home Camera sends images or video to the cloud. You can also turn the camera off in the Alexa app.
Can I use the speaker without the camera?
Yes. The product page says you can turn off the camera in the Alexa app and keep talking to Alexa. Amazon also still sells the standard Echo Studio with no camera.
Who owned the Florida cameras?
Five were claimed by police in Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce. Flock says the others belonged to several customers but will not say who. The county says it will not investigate.
Which computers does the Linux flaw affect?
The report focuses on Linux servers that use a feature called multipath TCP. If you run a website or server on Linux, ask your host when the fixed kernel will be installed.
How serious is the Linux flaw?
The scores differ. The kernel team rates it 9.8 out of 10. Red Hat's CVE page rates it 5.9, while Red Hat's advisory file, Oracle and SUSE rate it 8.1.
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