Is Your Air Fryer Spying on You??
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Is your air fryer spying on you? Concerns over ‘excessive’ surveillance in smart devices
UK consumer group Which? finds some everyday items including watches and speakers are ‘stuffed with trackers’
Air fryers that gather your personal data and audio speakers “stuffed with trackers” are among examples of smart devices engaged in “excessive” surveillance, according to the consumer group Which?
The organisation tested three air fryers, increasingly a staple of British kitchens, each of which requested permission to record audio on the user’s phone through a connected app.
Smart air fryers allow cooks to schedule their meal to start cooking before they get home. Not all air fryers have such functionality but those that do often use an app installed on a smartphone.
Which? found the app provided by the company Xiaomi connected to trackers for Facebook and a TikTok ad network. The Xiaomi fryer and another by Aigostar sent people’s personal data to servers in China, although this was flagged in the privacy notice, the consumer testing body found.
Its tests also examined smartwatches that it said required “risky” phone permissions – in other words giving invasive access to the consumer’s phone through location tracking, audio recording and accessing stored files.
It's a worrying thought that you kitchen appliances may be reporting what they see & hear isn't it! I am glad I haven't got one.
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