Smart devices collect far more data from users than is necessary for them to function. So says the British consumer association Which? based on research.
The study reveals that Smart speakers from Bose share user data with Meta. Google Nest products ask Android users for access to contacts and location. Multiple TV manufacturers use data from their users for personalized ads. Smart washing machine manufacturers want to know the age of their users. At Miele, location tracking is enabled by default: it is necessary to use the accompanying app.
"Washing machines last 11 years or more on average, which is a long time that your data is being tracked. It is rarely 100 percent clear what a company is doing with this data, and we have no evidence that any of these companies are selling the data to the highest bidder," said Which? The British privacy regulator ICO believes people should be able to use smart devices without their manufacturers collecting large amounts of personal data from them. "The ICO is developing guidelines on data protection and Internet of Things devices and we will act if we see that the rules are not being followed," the privacy authority warns.
