Is your air fryer spying on you?! New report states that it could be...

It goes without saying that the best air fryers have completely taken over the kitchen. Almost every household has one, with many people using their air fryer multiple times a day… but what if I told you that your air fryer could be spying on you?

According to a new research report published Which?, the consumer website looked into privacy settings and findings across a range of home products. Researchers at Which? looked into four categories and gave them privacy scores, related to data access and consent, and the results were surprising.

In the report, Which? found that “data collection often went well beyond what was necessary for the functionality of the product” with the consumer champion calling for firms to prioritise its privacy settings. While the report found that smartwatches, TVs and smart speakers often collected unnecessary data, the real surprise was air fryers.

The research looked into three different air fryers, and specifically found that models from Xiaomi and Aigostar “sent people’s personal data to servers in China”. The air fryers also wanted to record audio on users’ smartphones but no reason was specified. Other privacy concerns were highlighted, with Which? finding that the Xiaomi app that works with the air fryer linked it to “trackers from Facebook, Pangle and Tencent.”

Aside from this strange tracking, the air fryers tested were also found to ask the precise location of the air fryer, as well as gender and date of birth – although the latter was optional when setting up an owner account for an Aigostar air fryer.

While tracking features are somewhat expected when it comes to smart TVs, watches and speakers, it was extremely surprising to hear that an air fryer could also want or share this information. The response to the findings has been interesting, and Xiaomi has come out to say that they don’t sell personal information to third parties and that the permission to record audio on its app is not applicable to its air fryers.

Regardless of what air fryer or smart tech you have, it’s always important to check the settings and the data that you need to provide. Most of the time, you won’t need to provide details like your address or date of birth, so make sure that you only share information that you’re comfortable with. Reading the privacy notice and limiting access on accompanying apps can also keep your data secure.