The famous Mozilla foundation once again warns of connected objects that do not guarantee respect for privacy via an online guide that lists all the products to avoid. A visit is essential before any purchase!
In the middle of Black Friday, with the approach of the end of the year holidays, and, above all, millions of purchases that will be made for essential gifts, the Mozilla Foundation reiterates its major information campaign by posting on a dedicated site a guide listing the connected objects to avoid because they are likely to harm privacy. A commendable initiative, perfectly in line with the foundation’s approach, which has been campaigning for years for the respect of personal data. And which is becoming more and more relevant, as connected objects of all kinds invade our daily lives and often constitute gifts to be placed at the foot of the tree.
Humorously baptized Privacy not included – “confidentiality not included”, in reference to the tradition of mentioning batteries – this guide has been significantly enriched since its creation in 2017. Available on a dedicated page from the foundation’s site, it now lists nearly 200 products in eight categories (Smart home, Toys and games, Entertainment, etc.). You can find everything, including popular items like Google and Amazon speakers, Nest thermostats, Garmin, Fitbit and Apple smartwatches, Netatmo video doorbells and surveillance cameras, Bose, Sennheiser and wireless headphones. Jabra, Sony and Nintendo video game consoles, Philips light bulbs, iRobot robot vacuums, Apple and Samsung wireless headphones, trackers, e-readers, glasses, drones, etc. There are now dating applications like Tinder, Gindr, Match or Facebook Dating, or comminucation like Sjype, Zoom or WhastApp!
Each object is presented in a sheet which gives synthetic details on the level of security (encrypted data, customizable password, access to a camera, etc.) as well as Mozilla’s comments on the way in which the manufacturers treat the information that ‘they retrieve and links to information concerning privacy (user licenses and manufacturer’s declarations). This year again, Mozilla is focusing on espionage with a section titled Can this product spy on me?, a pastille which indicates the “dangerousness” of an object, and even a “flippometer”, which allows each visitor-user to give his opinion on a product using a cursor. An indicator to which manufacturers would be very sensitive, according to the foundation … However, all is not dark in the realm of connected objects, and an entire section is specifically devoted to recommendable products, which respect privacy.
Of course, not everything is perfect in this census, which is necessarily incomplete, especially in the translation into French which is not complete. As Mozilla points out, carrying out this constantly updated guide requires a lot of investigation – the number of hours of researching information on each product is even counted! – and community participation. But this project has the great merit of existing and of raising awareness of the potential dangers of these high-tech objects which have massively invaded our homes …