Yeah, Maybe Your Air Fryer Doesn’t Need To Collect Your Gender Or Location Data
from the kitchen-surveillance-state dept
I’ve noted for years how the U.S. is simply too corrupt to pass a modern internet-era privacy law or regulate dodgy data brokers. So we are subjected to a parade of privacy and security scandals thanks to numerous industries that over-collect your data, fail to properly secure it, then sell access to any random asshole on the internet with a few hundred bucks to spare. Usually without informing users.
Countless gadgets like your smart television over-collect and monetize location and behavior data, but fail to engage in due diligence to protect it. Apparently even your air fryer is now over-collecting a whole bunch of data it doesn’t need so they can also monetize your every waking fart. According to UK consumer group Which?, most Amazon air fryers are now collecting all kinds of data they simply don’t need in order to function:
“In the air fryer category, as well as knowing customers’ precise location, all three products wanted permission to record audio on the user’s phone, for no specified reason. The Xiaomi app linked to its air fryer connected to trackers from Facebook, Pangle (the ad network of TikTok for Business), and Chinese tech giant Tencent (depending on the location of the user). The Aigostar air fryer wanted to know gender and date of birth when setting up an owner account, again for no clear reason, but this was optional. The Aigostar and Xiaomi fryers both sent people’s personal data to servers in China, although this was flagged in the privacy notice.”
America spent the last three years freaking out about TikTok while doing absolutely nothing about the massive monetized and badly secured surveillance empire taking root in every room in your house. Gizmodo expresses the obvious when they note that healthy, functional markets really shouldn’t function this way:
“Every piece of tech shouldn’t be a devil’s bargain where we allow a tech company to read through our phone’s contact list so we can remotely shut off an oven. More people are pissed about this issue and complaining to their government. Watchdog groups in the U.K. and the U.S. are paying attention.”
Except U.S. “watchdog groups” are poised to stop giving a shit about any of this soon. The CFPB has been pushing to impose restrictions on data collection, but they risk being shut down under the pretense of Elon Musk efficiency (read: corruption). The FTC has also finally been taking aim at data brokers, but it too is likely to be a shell of its former self under Trumpism.
Across the board a key part of the Project 2025 Trump agenda is to dismantle corporate oversight and regulatory independence, especially if there’s money to be made. So expect this sort of thing to just keep getting worse until there’s a scandal so massive and preposterous (likely involving the sensitive data of rich and powerful people) even our corrupt Congress feels compelled to finally act.
Filed Under: air fryer, hardware, privacy, security, surveillance
Comments on “Yeah, Maybe Your Air Fryer Doesn’t Need To Collect Your Gender Or Location Data”
Well, the “gathering personal data” market is already huge, and products produces more and more data every year.
So if a user refuses to share its data, it’s loss money for the company, and user doesn’t financially profit from it (worse, products could even be more expensive).
And in an era where companies need growth much more than user satisfaction, they all are looking for user personal data, even if they don’t say it clearly, or if their marketing says otherwise. Because if they’re not doing it fully, competition will get a largest share of it.
We are no longer users but products.
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Companies need you to divulge all your personal information to them in order for their survival, this is critical, it is up to you citizen -to support your company overlords.
Re: Re: INCORRECT PRONOUNS!
The media has spent decades calling us (and convincing us) that we are CONSUMERS.. My great-grandfather was the last person I remember using the term CITIZENS – which confers upon folks the civic and societal duties that are required if we want to avoid the Iron Fist of Oligarchy and strive toward “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
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Consumers and citizens are nouns, not pronouns.
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This has been the case for at least 15 years.
There’s an app for that.
Everyone and their brother wants you to install their worthless app upon your phone.
.. why? ..
because, that’s why
I am a proud member of the anti-app org. Delete your apps now, before it’s too late!
Is there an app for that?
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Why is there an app for that?
“No, no, no, Judge. You see, it’s not illegal because we did it with an app”
Re: Re: Who’s “We”?
It’s not illegal bc we created an app, then let AI and Chat GPT run the app. Them virtual bots so crazy – crashing self driving cars and using up scarce water and energy for their Data Centers! Good luck arresting an algorithm😭
The Internet of Crap
Perhaps – and I know this is a radical thought – perhaps your air fryer doesn’t need to be connected to your phone or the internet at all.
Philip K. Dick would be proud.
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There’s two reasons I only ever buy dumb devices; 1) it avoids bullshit spyware and data harvesting like this, and 2) I don’t want to be left with an expensive brick should the internet go down or the company gives up on keeping the servers running.
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We exist in the most boring version of a cyberpunk dystopia.
Just because something is good for the economy, doesn’t mean it is good for humanity.
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Good for whose economy?
If the stock market is your only indicator of economic health, you are going to have a bad day.
If I’m looking to buy an appliance, if it requires an app for full functionality, it stays in the store. If it can connect to the internet, it’s going to remain a lonely disconnected device. They don’t make them like they used to. Sad but true.
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So if a user refuses
So if a user refuses to share its data,, it’s loss money for the company, and user doesn’t financially profit from it (worse, products could even be more expensive).
And in an era where companies need growth much more than user satisfaction, they all are looking for user personal data, even if they don’t say it clearly, or if their marketing says otherwise. Because if they’re not doing it fully, competition will get a largest share of it.
We are no longer users but products.,
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Your company will fail if it needs user info to survive.
This is a lost cause. So much data has already been aggregated that adding to the pile probably makes the data less useful. Back in ’96 we passed the HIPAA bill to make insurance “portable.” Because of the fear that the data would be abused, HIPAA included penalties for disclosure of personally-identifiable healthcare data. Health & Human Services was charged with enforcement. They have done such a poor job that almost all our medical data is already exposed. I doubt any further “privacy” legislation would be effective if its enforcement is left up to the Federal government. [I have a cell phone that is used only for calls and a “burner” that is used for anything else and that connects to the Internet only via a VPN. Track that all you want!]
Lol, I knew it. It’s Trumps and Elons fault even though they’re not even in office yet.
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Except that’s not what the article says. It’s just predicting it will get worse when Trump comes into office. Which it likely will.