Top 10 Creepiest Devices That You Should Avoid Buying
Arnav Dhar
Check out these "creepy" devices that have security issues that you will want to avoid buying this holiday season.
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You all know how useful, appealing smart devices are, right? But hold on, not everything you see on the shelves is completely safe for you.
Especially those which are connected to the Internet. Mozilla has recently created a guide for safe shopping this holiday season. They give us a look at how safe certain devices are in terms of security, privacy risk, and encryption.
Then, Mozilla let users rank these devices all by themselves on a scale of creepiness, from "not creepy" to "super creepy" and decide whether they want to buy it. The least creepy ones on the list are consoles, coffee makers or Kindles. On the other hand, the creepiest devices which will certainly surprise you a bit will be listed down below.
Petzi Treat Cam
This device let you spy on your pets and treat them.
This unique device is said to have a wide-angle lens that enables you to "spy" on your pets while you are not at home. It can even be used to praise your dogs and give them treats for being a good dog. Sounds interesting right? According to Mozilla, this device doesn't share your information with 3rd parties without reason. However, at the time I check it out, 41% of users felt it is super creepy and 78% wouldn't buy it.
Dobby Pocket Drone
As the name suggests, it fits well in your pocket.
Listed among the cheapest and smallest flying cameras, this device can serve basic video and selfie needs pretty well. It can also fit into your pocket. However, Mozilla said that they didn't find this device meets their minimum security standards. 38% of users also found it super creepy and 86% decided not to buy it.
Furbo Dog Camera
Furbo Dog Camera works similarly to Petzi
This device functions similarly to Petzi Treat Cam since it allows you to somewhat interact with your pup and treat it. However, according to Mozilla, it shares your information with 3rd parties for unexpected reasons.
41% felt it super creepy and 80% wouldn't consider buying it for their pups.
Nest Cam Indoor Security Camera
A security camera is surely necessary for your house. In the case of Nest Cam, it can alert you when there is strange motions or loud noises. It can also let you talk through a speaker system.
However, 46% reviewed it is super creepy and 71% wouldn't recommend it.
Google Home
Some of you may be surprised, but yes, Google Home is one of the creepiest devices out there this holiday season according to users. Of course, these smart speakers are really fun and useful, but Mozilla said that their privacy policy is hard to understand and unfortunately, they share your information with 3rd parties.
51% said it is super creepy and 63% wouldn't think about buying it.
CogniToys Dino
This dinosaur is cute. But harmless? Probably not.
Now, this is a fun, interesting and smart toy for your kids, not you. The adorable dinosaur is said to have an incredible ability to listen and answer your children's questions regarding their ages once it is connected to Wi-Fi. The dinosaur will also learn and grow with your kids, according to the producer.
Mozilla didn't detect any serious security risk besides its hard-to-understand privacy policy. However, there's a review back in 2017 said that your kids' information is not secured since CogniToys Dino transmitted information without encryption.
About 53% considered it is super creepy and 90% won't buy this for their children.
Amazon Echo & Dot
Coming in pair with Google Home, Amazon Echo and Amazon Dot is considered greatly useful and smart. However, Mozilla found that its privacy policy is hard to understand, it shares your information with 3rd parties and stores data from users without deleting it.
59% of responders said it is super creepy. 74% won't pay for it.
Amazon Echo Show & Spot
Poor Amazon. Echo Show and Spot are pretty similar to Echo and Dot, the only significant difference that they possess screens, which make you question whether they are not only listening but also watching everything you do? Creepy!
Their major security issues are the same with those on Amazon Echo and Amazon Dot.
67% of users found these devices super creepy and 83% wouldn't like to buy them.
Amazon Cloud Cam Security Camera
Come on, Amazon, this is your third type of devices on this list! This security cam can detect motions, has 24/7 video, alert system, and a 2-way audio system to warn anyone willing to break into your house.
But it also has the same issues like Amazon's other devices on this list, according to Mozilla.
69% found it super creepy and 91% were afraid of buying it.
FREDI Baby Monitor
Parents who want to watch their kids while they aren't able to be with them will certainly need a baby camera. However, this one might be a huge risk of privacy since it once hacked easily since it doesn't encrypt information. The privacy policy was not detected by Mozilla and it has a password of "123".
That's fairly enough to scare 84% of users. 96% won't pay for it either.