Air fryers may be secretly sizzling data, consumer group warns

Consumer rights champion Which? has warned shoppers that air fryers and other electronics products from China may be collecting unnecessary data on them and sharing this with third parties for marketing and sales purposes.

The watchdog and consumer reports publisher advised consumers to research their next electronics purchases carefully after finding evidence of “excessive smart device surveillance” from Chinese air fryers and other products.

Which? claimed that smart air fryers from Xiaomi, Cosori, and Aigostar all wanted to know customers’ precise locations, as well as permission to record audio on the user’s phone.

The report claimed that the Xiaomi app linked to the smart device also connected to ad trackers from Facebook, TikTok’s Pangle ad network, and Tencent, depending on the location of the user.

It also said that Aigostar wanted to know the gender and date of birth of the owner when setting up an owner account and that both it and Xiaomi sent personal user data back to servers in China.

In the UK the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)  is due to publish new guidance for smart product manufacturers in Spring 2025.

This guidance must include clear advice on how consumers’ data can be used and the transparency required of businesses.

However, Which? added that it was concerned that manufacturers based abroad could take advantage of the challenges of enforcing compliance with guidelines.

Adam Brown, managing security consultant at Black Duck noted that the Cyber Resilience Act, which came into play this year, enforces stricter cybersecurity standards for all products with digital features sold in the EU requires manufacturers to implement mandatory cybersecurity measures throughout a connected product’s lifecycle.

However, he added: “‘Excessive smart device surveillance’ may not fall within the requirements of the CRA. Bringing connected devices into your home network opens doors for potential surveillance activity. And while an individual may not be a target for control or surveillance, as a part of a larger group, they may be.”