PHOENIX — As shoppers hit the stores to find the best holiday gifts, technology is top of mind for many. Bluetooth speakers, gaming systems, smart TVs, and computers are hot gifts for the holidays.
But many big gifts for the season require a WiFi connection which could put your digital information at risk.
Mozilla's Privacy Not Included holiday guide puts products to the test. Not only does it break down companies' privacy policies; the guide also reveals what companies are doing with personal data collected by each gadget.
The 2022 holiday guide features information on dozens of the most popular gadgets and devices hitting store shelves this season. Mozilla researchers review each device and privacy policy. Then the devices are flagged for any privacy or security concerns and tagged by level of "creepiness."
Facebook, Meta, and Amazon have several products tagged as "super creepy." Some of these include the Facebook and Meta Portal and the Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition. While the Barnes & Noble Nook, Nintendo Switch, Roku Streaming Sticks, and NordicTrack Treadmill are among dozens of other products flagged for privacy concerns.
A risk with many of these products is how they track your habits. You may be giving devices access to know what TV shows you watch, when you turn your lights on and off, your location, your health information, and your contacts.
What are companies doing with your data?
Much of the data collected by companies is used to flood you with targeted ads based on your interests. Collected data can also be sold by companies to third parties.
You don't need to fear every device when you're shopping. For example, the Xbox Series X and S, Sonos speakers, and Apple Airpods were found to be much less creepy.
It's all about doing your research and changing the setting on your devices to limit what information they can access depending on your comfort level.
Loading...
