Is Your Air Fryer Gathering More Than Grease?

When even your air fryer starts eavesdropping, it's time to question: is smart tech making our homes too smart for comfort?

Smart devices like air fryers and speakers are being called out by UK consumer group Which? for "excessive" surveillance practices. Their investigation found that some smart air fryers, such as models by Xiaomi and Aigostar, request access to personal data through smartphone apps, including permissions for audio recording...

In Xiaomi’s case, data was also sent to servers in China, all flagged in a rather hidden privacy notice. Beyond air fryers, other gadgets like smartwatches and digital speakers were found to include preloaded trackers from companies like Facebook and Google, adding a new layer of privacy concerns for users.

This concern isn’t just about privacy; it’s about control. Imagine smartwatches requiring “risky” permissions, such as access to audio and location tracking, simply to function. While some manufacturers, like Xiaomi, claim they respect privacy and follow data laws, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office is stepping in to clarify compliance rules, with new guidelines set for spring 2025.

With smart tech only set to expand in our lives, are we entering an era of perpetual surveillance from our own kitchen counters? How do you think companies should balance functionality with privacy?

Read the full article on The Guardian.

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💡 We're entering a world where intelligence is synthetic, reality is augmented, and the rules are being rewritten in front of our eyes.

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