How creepy are the devices that make your life easier? Mozilla, best know for providing the free web browser Firefox, created a guide that breaks smart speakers, fitness trackers, and wireless products into the categories of “Not Creepy,” “A Little Creepy,” “Somewhat Creepy,” and “Very Creepy,” to help users understand how much this device may be monitoring them. Besides placing each product into a category, Mozilla also describes how much privacy the device allows and what could happen if something went wrong. Mozilla also tells users if the device can snoop on you, as well as whether it’s collecting information, and what kind of data it’s tracking if so.
Here are a few examples of some commonly owned smart products:
Nintendo Switch
Odds are if you have children, or enjoy gaming yourself, you have heard about the Nintendo Switch. This device allows users to play vintage games like Super Mario Brothers and enjoy new games like Animal Crossing. Mozilla rates the Nintendo Switch at the top of their “Least Creepy” list. However, it is not without fault. The device can snoop with its camera and location tracking. It collects traditional information like name, email, phone number, date of birth, and gender. Nintendo says it does not sell your personal information to third parties, though you may share your information with third parties if you play games offered through other companies. You can request your data be deleted, which is a perk. The device meets the minimum-security standards.
Apple Air Pods & Air Pods Pro
Apple’s Air Pods are wireless headphones that connect through Bluetooth technology. Mozilla states that Apple has a pretty good record of offering its users privacy and security, though the Air Pods may always be connected and listening. Thankfully, Apple does not share or sell your data. In 2019, Apple changed policy to ensure that users weren’t being listened in on during personal conversations when Apple was reviewing the voice assistant’s recordings for technical purposes. The Air Pods do not have a camera, though their microphone can snoop on you. They do not track your location. The Air Pods do collect your personal information as well as voice recordings (if you opt in). You can request that your data be deleted by going to https://privacy.apple.com. They do meet the minimum-security standards.
iRobot Roomba S Series
This little robot vacuum uses intelligent navigation to move around your home and clean for you. However, a few years back, iRobot got into trouble as it was learned that their Roomba was mapping users’ homes, with plans to sell the data collected. iRobot has since committed to not selling users’ personal data, and you can choose to turn off the mapping data setting. The Roomba does have a camera that could do some snooping, though no microphone or location tracking. It does collect your person information like most apps and devices. The iRobot Roomba meets the minimum-security standards with its encrypted data in transit and rest. This device is classified as “Somewhat Creepy” by Mozilla.
Roku Streaming Sticks
Roku is a huge company in the streaming TV device industry. Unfortunately, Mozilla rates them as “Very Creepy” because they are known for selling your personal data. Their privacy policy “scared the researchers who put this guide together,” according to Mozilla. Yikes. Mozilla describes Roku as a nosey neighbor who is tracking your every move and show watched. If that wasn’t bad enough, they are sharing that information with just about anybody. Their own privacy policy states that they will share your personal data with advertisers to hit you with those targeted ads and create profiles over time and across various services and devices. This data is shared with third parties for their own marketing purposes. The Roku device can snoop with its microphone and location tracking features. It collects your personal data as well as your viewing habits. Thankfully, you can request that your data be deleted and for Roku to stop personalizing your ads or limit ad tracking. This does not carry over to other Roku devices, though. Roku meets the minimum-security standards because it uses encryption in transit and rest, but it does use AI to make decisions about you based on your personal data.
If you’d like to read and view the 138 products that Mozilla reviewed for this article, please visit this link and enjoy learning about the creepy factor in these smart devices.