{"id":12407,"date":"2019-11-20T07:57:39","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T15:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/?p=12407"},"modified":"2019-11-20T12:38:32","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T20:38:32","slug":"can-your-holiday-gift-spy-on-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/blogarchive\/blog\/2019\/11\/20\/can-your-holiday-gift-spy-on-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Your Holiday Gift Spy on You?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mozilla is unveiling its annual holiday ranking of the creepiest and safest connected devices. Our researchers reviewed the security and privacy features and flaws of 76 popular gifts for 2019’s *Privacy Not Included<\/a> guide<\/em><\/h3>\n
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Mozilla today launches the third-annual <\/span>*Privacy Not Included<\/span><\/a>, a report and shopping guide identifying which connected gadgets and toys are secure and trustworthy \u2014 and which aren\u2019t. The goal is two-fold: arm shoppers with the information they need to choose gifts that protect the privacy of their friends and family. And, spur the tech industry to do more to safeguard consumers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mozilla researchers reviewed 76 popular connected gifts available for purchase in the United States across six categories: <\/span>Toys & Games<\/span><\/a>; <\/span>Smart Home<\/span><\/a>; <\/span>Entertainment<\/span><\/a>; <\/span>Wearables<\/span><\/a>; <\/span>Health & Exercise<\/span><\/a>; and <\/span>Pets<\/span><\/a>. Researchers combed through privacy policies, sifted through product and app specifications, reached out to companies about their encryption and bug bounty programs, and more. As a result, we can answer questions like: <\/span>How accessible is the privacy policy, if there is one?<\/span> Does the product require strong passwords? Does it collect biometric data?<\/span> And, <\/span>Are there automatic security updates?<\/span><\/p>\n

The guide also showcases the Creep-O-Meter, an interactive tool allowing shoppers to rate the creepiness of a product using an emoji sliding scale from \u201cSuper Creepy\u201d to \u201cNot Creepy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Says Ashley Boyd, Mozilla\u2019s Vice President of Advocacy: \u201cThis year we found that many of the big tech companies like Apple and Google are doing pretty well at securing their products, and you\u2019ll see that most products in the guide meet our Minimum Security Standards. But don\u2019t let that fool you. Even though devices are secure, we found they are collecting more and more personal information on users, who often don\u2019t have a whole lot of control over that data.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For the first time ever, this year\u2019s guide is launching alongside new longform research from Mozilla\u2019s Internet Health Report. Two companion articles are debuting alongside the guide and provide additional context and insight into the realm of connected devices: what\u2019s working, what\u2019s not, and how consumers can wrestle back control. The articles include \u201c<\/span>How Smart Homes Could Be Wiser<\/span><\/a>,\u201d an exploration of why trustworthy connected devices are so scarce, and what consumers can do to remedy this. And \u201c<\/span>5 key decisions for every smart device<\/span><\/a>,\u201d a look at five key areas manufacturers should address when designing private and secure connected devices.<\/span><\/p>\n

*Privacy Not Included highlights include:<\/b><\/p>\n