Air fryers are a kitchen hero for perfectly crispy fries, but what if they listen to your conversations, too?
It sounds absurd, but recent research by consumer watchdog Which? revealed that some air fryers were made by Chinese brands.
Xiaomi, Tencent, and Aigostar were demanding permission to record audio on customers’ phones.
Another Chinese Espionage?
The study didn’t stop there. Xiaomi’s fryer apps were also found linking to trackers like Facebook and TikTok’s ad network.
While Aigostar devices requested personal details, like gender and birthdate, optional, but still oddly invasive.
Even creepier? Some fryers reportedly sent personal data to servers in China, raising serious privacy concerns.
Aigostar Rejected Collecting Data
When questioned, Aigostar insisted, “We do not collect audio data,” claiming location permissions were only for Wi-Fi setup.
Stephen Almond from the UK’s data watchdog ICO warned consumers they’re often “paying twice, once with money, and again with their data.”
