China is listening: Consumer advocates warn against ‘smart’ fryers

Air fryers are also becoming more and more popular in European kitchens. But smart versions of these devices also have a certain “appetite” for data. In any case, an ongoing investigation by the British consumer organization which sheds a worrying light on the data protection practices of some manufacturers. Security researchers took a closer look at three smart air fryers. It turned out that all models tested requested access to the cell phone microphone through their smartphone apps – without any apparent reason for this function. Particularly striking: applications from the brands Xiaomi and Aigostar sent personal data to servers in China. The data protection declarations have certainly highlighted what might still be new for many users. As a press release from Which reveals (via The Register ), data collection often went well beyond what was necessary for the device to function. The Aigostar app also required information about the user’s gender and date of birth. The Xiaomi software even attempted to connect to trackers from Facebook, TikTok and Tencent.

Around half of UK households now own an air fryer. These devices are also increasingly popular in Belgium. Like many things around the home, many models can now be controlled via an app, which allows functions such as remote control and temperature control. But this also has a price. These findings aren’t limited to air fryers: other smart home devices such as speakers and smartwatches have also been noted for excessive data collection. A Bose speaker contained trackers from Facebook and Google. Harry Rose, editor of Which magazine, strongly criticizes the opaque practices of manufacturers: “Our investigation shows how smart technology manufacturers and their partners appear to collect consumer data unhindered, often with little or no transparency.”