[Steely Tom]

Anyone with a half a brain would not buy one of those spy devices in the first place

Yeah I think I'll go out and buy a microphone that I can't turn off and that's hooked up to a gigantic data mining network that's owned by a multi-billionaire who is trying to monetize my brain. Then I'll install this microphone in my house where it can hear everything I say.

[Gene Eric]

>> Yeah I think I’ll go out and buy a microphone...

No need if you have a modern cell phone.

[Chickensoup]

Isn’t that a cell phone?

[ExGeeEye]

You can turn the microphone off. There's a button for it and the gadget shows red when you've done it (also, when it has lost internet connectivity).

If you're really worried about a particularly sensitive conversation, you can unplug it.

I have three of them in the house. Most of the time, even if I believed they were actively listening, it wouldn't concern me because all that they would "hear" is bumps, footfalls, the ticking and chiming of the clocks, and the cat.

However, a source I trust showed results of a test that convinced me that they "listen" only for the name one calls out to activate them.