[anon9001]

Next time you're having a conversation with your wife, count the number of microphones in the room. I'd be shocked if it's zero.

I'm not asking "why do you need privacy if you have nothing to hide?". I'm asking why don't you have protocols in place that you can enable for private conversations? If I've got my phone on me, I assume Google and governments can hear anything in microphone range. You should too.

Only you can decide how you want to define your threat model, but "Google can hear you already through your phone so why not install more microphones in your house" should be a compelling argument if you've already established which areas of your house are meant to be private.

You could have no IoT devices and demand all occupants and visitors check their phones at the door, if that's how you choose to live. I'm not passing judgment on where to draw the line, but it doesn't make any sense to be afraid of Alexa devices in your living room while you're sitting on your couch scrolling through Facebook on your Android device and watching Netflix on your "smart tv".