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These are the creepiest tech gifts for Christmas 2019, according to Mozilla

2019-11-20T23:19:57.533Z


Researchers at Mozilla, the nonprofit Internet organization behind the Firefox browser, published their third annual "Privacy not included" list on ...


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(CNN Business) - Christmas gifts are meant to be fun, but security researchers say some gifts can be downright creepy.

Researchers at Mozilla, the nonprofit Internet organization behind the Firefox browser, published their third annual "Privacy not included" list on popular gifts connected to the Internet on Wednesday. Mozilla investigated 76 articles to determine how well customers' privacy and security protect some of the most popular gifts.

Security and privacy have become increasingly important, as devices connected to the Internet are more common in people's homes. Several of the leading technology companies, including Amazon, Facebook and Google, have been scrutinized for controlling user information.

To receive the Mozilla minimum security standard badge, products must use encryption, have automatic security updates, implement bug rewards programs to help report vulnerabilities and require users to change the default password.

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Here are the products that did not meet Mozilla's minimum safety standards ... and the two that scored the highest:

Ring devices

Three renowned Ring devices did not meet Mozilla's minimum safety standards, including the Ring video doorbell, the interior camera and security cameras.

Mozilla said the company does not have a "great track record for protecting customer data or hiring experienced security engineers," and researchers were unable to determine if Ring products use secure encryption. Mozilla also said Ring's search for a "head of facial recognition research" contradicts the company's claim that it does not use technology.

"In general, this is a security camera that raises too many questions about privacy and security, in our opinion," Mozilla said in a statement.

In response, Ring, which is owned by Amazon, said in a statement that "customer safety is taken very seriously and we have complete and dedicated equipment to ensure the safety of our products and systems."

Wemo Wifi Smart Dimmer

The $ 60 smart dimmer did not pass the minimum safety standards because Mozilla could not determine how safe and private the product was.

"Security researchers discovered that the Belkin Wemo Insight smart plug is still at risk of attack even though security vulnerabilities had been identified and revealed more than a year ago," Mozilla researchers said, adding that it could affect to the entire line of Wemo smart home devices.

Artie 3000 Coding Robot

The $ 63 toy robot teaches children to code. The robot has built-in Wi-Fi and Mozilla could not determine if the data sent between the application and the robot were encrypted. The lack of security was alarming for a children's product.

PetChatz HD

The $ 330 dog camera, which includes an aroma diffuser, has a strange privacy policy that does not apply to the device, only to its website.

“And although it is unlikely, it is possible that some terrible person can hack, spread the aromatherapy of your pet in the middle of the night causing an attack of sneezing that gives you insomnia, which makes you fall asleep at the wheel on the way to work the next morning and you destroy your car, ”Mozilla said in a statement.

Litter Robot 3 Connect

Yes, you can buy a $ 500 cat litter box that automatically collects poop. Mozilla warned buyers that they cannot change the password when the device connects to Wi-Fi.

OurPets SmartScoop Intelligent Litter Box

A cheaper $ 100 litter box breached several of Mozilla's security requirements, including encryption and the installation of automatic security updates.

The best rated

Mozilla called the popular Nintendo Switch game system a "good boy" for emphasizing that "parental controls are easy to use."

Although Nintendo does not share user data with third parties, some third party games for Switch "may be collecting and sharing their data."

And Mozilla said the Sonos One SL speaker received high marks because it has no microphone.

“To think, a speaker simply built to play music and not listen to you all day. Crazy! ”Mozilla said in a statement.

MozillaNintendo

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2019-11-20

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