Enjoying the Holidays, Your Recently Purchased Air Fryer Is Monitoring You Secretly
Enjoying the Holidays, Your Recently Purchased Air Fryer Is Monitoring You Secretly
Your smart air fryer, just like many other app-linked devices, is essentially a surveillance tool that's gathering a significant chunk of your private information. Regulators in the UK and US are starting to take note and are trying to curb the excessive collection and trading of this data.
Imagine the setting: It's the holiday season, and your family is gathered around, exchanging gifts. Your spouse gives you the long-desired air fryer as a present. You're thrilled, excited to taste the crispy potatoes it can produce. Your spouse then offers a word of caution: "Make sure you don't speak aloud while using it." Confused, you ask why. "Well," they explain, "it's an air fryer, and it requires an app to operate, and this app records every single thing your phone hears."
This is the harsh truth of modern air fryers and numerous other consumer goods. The number of connected devices in our lives has never been higher, all relying on apps to function and collecting data on us, which is transferred to energy-devouring data centers. A recent report from the UK consumer advocacy group Which? has shed light on some of the worst offenders.
The group examined the top-rated air fryers on Amazon and analyzed the privacy risks associated with them. As it should be common sense, the appliance used to prepare crispy potatoes should not have listening capabilities, but it does. In fact, your air fryer may even know more about you than some of your close friends.
Which? found that in the air fryer category, three of the top-rated models sought permission to record audio on the user's phone, without any explanation provided. The Xiaomi app linked to its air fryer was found to connect with Facebook, Pangle (TikTok's advertising network), and Chinese tech giant Tencent (depending on the user's location). The Aigostar air fryer required disclosing gender and birthdate when setting up an account, again without a clear purpose. Both the Aigostar and Xiaomi air fryers sent users' personal data to servers in China, although this was mentioned in the privacy notice.
Which? also did their homework on smartwatches, smart TVs, smartwatches, and a bunch of other gadgets that are expected to end up beneath the Christmas tree this year. The results were consistently disheartening. Every electronic device you own is monitoring you, especially if it is linked to an app in your phone.
Most of us are aware of this, though. We've accepted this as a part of modern living. You can use a Pi-Hole or similar device to reroute data collection or avoid using apps. The safest option is to completely opt out of smart devices and stick to traditional, dumb gadgets.
But it shouldn't have to be this way. Each and every piece of technology shouldn't require us to compromise our privacy just to have access to its features. More people are starting to get angry about this, and organizations are starting to take notice. Watchdog groups in the UK and the US are making plans to introduce new guidelines to protect consumers.
In Britain, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) - a regulatory body that reports to parliament - said it plans to release new guidelines on data collection early in 2025. The guidance will outline the responsibilities of manufacturers to comply with data protection laws and protect customers using smart devices.
In the US, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is looking to tackle a related issue. The personal data collected by smart devices often ends up in the hands of data brokers, who then sell and trade this sensitive information on the open market. The CFPB wants Congress to give it more power to take action against these data brokers.
As the Director of the CFPB, Rohit Chopra, said: "By selling our most sensitive personal data without our knowledge or consent, data brokers can profit from enabling scamming, stalking, and spying. The CFPB's proposed rule will curtail these practices that threaten our personal safety and undermine America's national security."
The CFPB isn't looking for any new laws to be passed, but it wants to enforce the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a consumer privacy law that has been around since 1970. Currently, data brokers are exempt from this law, and the CFPB wants this loophole closed.
The CFPB announced this request on December 3. However, the support and influence a consumer-focused regulatory agency founded in 2011 is likely to have in the incoming Trump administration is uncertain. Though, the signs aren't looking promising. Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency are hinting at the elimination of public benefits like veteran's benefits. It's hard to imagine a future where a less prominent agency like the CFPB isn't targeted in the new regime.
So it's clear that no one is going to save you from your air fryer. It seems the best bet is to minimize your reliance on phone apps and opt for more traditional, less-connected devices.
In the tech-forward future, regulations may be introduced to limit the excessive data collection by smart devices, such as air fryers. With the increasing number of tech products relying on apps for functionality, it's crucial to critically evaluate the privacy implications before integrating them into our daily lives.