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Hit 10,000 data points collected by my smart fridge without ever agreeing to it
Last week I checked the app and realized my fridge had been logging every time I opened the door for two years, and I never once saw a privacy notice or option to stop it, has anyone else found stuff like this hiding in their appliances?
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alicecraig1d ago
Started checking my washer/dryer after reading this and turns out the same company that makes your fridge also logs when I do laundry! It's literally recording every time I use the "delicates" cycle like that's somehow useful data for anyone. What really bugs me is that this stuff gets sent to servers somewhere and I never got a popup, email, or anything about it. Makes me wonder what else is silently collecting info in my house right now like my coffee maker or thermostat.
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ross.lily1d ago
Honestly I went through the SAME thing last month and it drove me crazy. I started unplugging everything one by one and checking the settings on my phone app. What finally worked for me was going into the wifi settings and blocking each smart device from connecting to the internet unless I really needed it to work remotely. Like my washer doesn't need to talk to the cloud to spin clothes you know? Now I only let things like my thermostat connect when I'm actually away from home and want to adjust it. It took some time to figure out but now I feel WAY more in control. Also switched to a simple coffee maker that doesn't even have bluetooth and honestly my mornings are less complicated.
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nguyen.blake19h ago
Feeling you on this one. I went through the same thing with my thermostat last winter. Unplugged everything and started blocking devices on my wifi like what @ross.lily mentioned. Turns out my "smart" kettle was pinging a server every time I boiled water for tea. Like who needs to know that? It's creepy how quiet these things are about collecting data. Now I only let my washer connect when I'm running a cycle and need a notification. Everything else stays blocked unless I really need it.
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