Airfryers accused of espionage: Xiaomi in the sights of a consumer association

Oil-free fryers promise fast, even and less greasy cooking. Airfryers have quickly found their place in kitchens around the world, including France, with many models from different brands. Some are singled out by the British magazine’s investigation Which?notably Xiaomi.

Xiaomi airfryers in the association’s sights

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The consumer association tested three oil-free fryers. The Xiaomi Home application for its airfryers integrates trackers for Facebook and the TikTok advertising network. More worrying: the manufacturer’s models, but also those of Aigostar and Cosori, transmit personal data to servers in China. However, this practice is specified in the privacy policy.

The investigation also looks at connected watches that request authorizations “risky” on smartphones, including access to geolocation, audio recording and stored files. Ditto for connected speakers with trackers for Facebook, Google and Urbanairship, a digital marketing company.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the British data protection regulator, believes that these tests “show that many products meet neither our data protection expectations nor consumer expectations”. The organization is therefore preparing new guidelines for manufacturers of connected devices. They will be applied in spring 2025.

Harry Rose, editor-in-chief of Which?criticizes less than transparent data collection. He believes that the ICO must effectively enforce the regulation, in particular “against companies operating abroad”.

Xiaomi denies espionage accusations

Xiaomi responded to this survey. The Chinese manufacturer claims that respect for privacy is one of its values. The firm explains that it respects British data protection laws. “We do not sell any personal information to third parties”specifies the company. “The permission to record audio on the Xiaomi Home app does not apply to the Xiaomi Connected Fryer which does not operate directly by voice commands and video chat” says Xiaomi. As for Airgocell, radio silence for the moment.

Faced with the democratization of connected devices in our daily lives, the ICO makes several recommendations. For example, favor connected devices with a physical button to prevent the collection of voice data. Amazon’s Echo speakers notably have the ability to physically deactivate the microphone. It is also recommended to check the permissions requested by the applications. Some are not necessary for proper operation.

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