by Pieter Arntz at Malwarebytes Lab
Consumer group Which? has warned shoppers to be selective when it comes to buying smart air fryers from Xiaomi, Cosori, and Aigostar.
We’ve learned to expect that “smart” appliances come with privacy risks—toothbrushes aside—but I really hadn’t given my air fryer any thought. Now things are about to change.
You don’t need to worry about the air fryers sending reports about your eating habits to your healthcare provider just yet. But according to Which?, the air fryers’ associated phone apps wanted to know customers’ precise locations, as well as permission to record audio on the user’s phone.
The researchers also found evidence that the Aigostar and Xiaomi fryers both sent people’s personal data to servers in China. This was specified in the privacy notice, but we know not everyone reads a privacy notice.
When buying any kind of smart device, it’s worth doing these things:
- Question the permissions an app asks for on your phone. Does it serve a purpose for you, the user, or is it just some vendor being nosy?
- Read the privacy policy. The vendors are counting on it that you won’t but there are times that privacy policies are very revealing.
- Ask yourself if the appliance needs to be smart. What’s in it for you, and what’s the price you’re going to pay?
An easy solution is not to install the app,…
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