Is your air fryer spying on you?

A recent Which? investigation reveals that many smart devices, such as air fryers, smartwatches, TVs, and speakers, are collecting more data than necessary, raising privacy concerns.

The study found that companies often prioritise data collection, potentially for marketing, over consumer privacy.

Air Fryer

For example, air fryers from brands like Xiaomi and Aigostar request access to users’ precise locations and even record audio without clear justification. Xiaomi’s app links to trackers from companies like Facebook and TikTok’s ad network, while Aigostar asks for demographic data and sends information to servers in China, as noted in privacy policies.

Smartwatches

Smartwatches, including Huawei’s Ultimate model, request “risky” permissions like location and audio access. Cheaper models, such as those by Kuzil and WeurGhy, lack transparency on security updates and require broad access permissions.

Smart TVs

Smart TVs from Hisense, Samsung, and LG also gather extensive data. Samsung, for instance, requests postcodes and links to multiple trackers from companies like Facebook and Google. Samsung’s TV app alone requires eight permissions, making it one of the more invasive products.

Smart Speakers

Among smart speakers, Bose’s Home Portable model uses numerous trackers, while Amazon Echo allows users to limit data sharing to a degree.

Across all devices, demands for precise location data are common, with minimal transparency on its use.