UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has instructed smart home product manufacturers, including smart air fryer vendors, to ensure user consent is collected before collecting and processing personal data. The instructions apply to manufacturers of any smart home products.
The guidance instruction from the ICO clearly states that smart devices often collect a large amount of data without transparency or data protection in mind. In their own words:
From smart speakers and fitness trackers to Wi-Fi fridges and interconnected air fryers, smart products often collect large amounts of personal information from users – including sensitive information – so manufacturers and developers must ensure their products are designed with data protection in mind.
There are existing laws for smart device security in the UK that enforce rules like the use of unique passwords for devices, user data encryption, and frequent security updates. However, these added instructions call for more transparency and, more importantly, consent during data collection.
Users should be able to tell what type of data collection they’re consenting to, how the data will be processed, and everything else they need to know before making an informed choice. This leaves manufacturers with little margin for error, and changes can be expected in the form of simpler disclaimers, more user-friendly app design, and visual descriptions of what’s happening to their data.
Since the guidance also applies to apps that often accompany these smart devices, it also protects any interaction and usage data that the app might collect. This is a great way for vendor to harvest specific information about its users. The new instructions hope to limit unethical data harvesting from this front as well.
This is the UK’s attempt to enforce a GDPR-like privacy framework in the country that protects its citizens. However, the draft is still in legislation, and likely won’t protect anyone outside the country. At the end of the day, the ultimate responsibility lies with the user to buy products that don’t invade privacy or use them in a manner that isn’t as connected as the manufacturer wants.
In the News: Anubis ransomware adds novel file wiping capabilities
