Which? research found evidence of air fryers demanding permission to listen in on conversations and sharing data with TikTok, and TVs wanting to know users’ exact locations at all times.
Researchers examined air fryers from Aigostar, Xiaomi and Cosori, TVs by Hisense, LG and Samsung, smart speakers by Bose, Amazon and Google, and smartwatches by Kuzil, Huawei and WeurGhy.
Air fryers asking for information
The consumer champion found evidence of air fryers recording customers’ precise locations and devices wanting 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. Which? said this was for no clear reason, but noted it 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.
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Smartwatches request ‘risky’ phone permissions
The Huawei Ultimate smartwatch required privacy consent to work properly. It requested nine “risky” phone permissions – the most of all devices in the test.
Which? defines “risky” as giving invasive access to parts of someone’s phone. These included precise location, the ability to record audio, access to stored files or an ability to see all other apps installed.
The company said all had a “justified need”. Huawei also said that no user data is used for marketing or advertising purposes.
The Kuzil and WeurGhy smartwatches are bestsellers on Amazon – but Which? found they were essentially the same product. It said this is a common problem on marketplaces where little-known brands sell near-identical white-label goods.
Both watches required consent to work. If consent was declined, the product would only operate as a watch, without the accompanying smart features.
Smart TVs want to know where you live
Smart TV menus are “littered with ads and thirsty for user data”, according to the study.
The Hisense and Samsung TVs tested by the consumer champion required a postcode at set-up. The LG set asked for a postcode, but providing it was not mandatory.
Samsung’s TV app requested eight risky phone permissions, including being able to see all the other apps on the phone. The Hisense TV did not connect to any trackers that researchers could detect, but Samsung and LG linked to a number of them, including Facebook and Google.
Your smart speaker is tracking you
The Bose Home Portable speaker and app take the fewest upfront phone permissions of all the products on test, the analysis of smart speakers found. But the device is “stuffed with trackers”, including Facebook, Google and digital marketing firm Urbanairship.
The Bose speaker also fared poorly on how it secured customer consent for data tracking.
By contrast, Amazon Echo gives useful options to skip various requests to share data. Consumers need an Amazon or Google account to use the Echo Pop or Nest Mini respectively. They use trackers that Which?’s researchers expected to see, but users cannot selectively opt out.
Excessive data collection
The consumer champion’s research highlights how manufacturers are currently able to collect excessive data from consumers, often with little transparency about what it will be used for.
Harry Rose, Which?’s magazine editor, said: “Our research shows how smart tech manufacturers and the firms they work with are currently able to collect data from consumers, seemingly with reckless abandon, and this is often done with little or no transparency.
“Which? has been calling for proper guidelines outlining what is expected of smart product manufacturers and the ICO has confirmed a code is being introduced in spring 2025 – this must be backed by effective enforcement, including against companies that operate abroad.”
