Smart Coffee Makers Draw Privacy Scrutiny After Data and Permission Reports

The U.S. man, an IT expert who posts on X as Nomad, said he disconnected the device. 'It’s not worth keeping an IOT [Internet of Things] device connected that has the capability of bugging out and causing saturation like this did,' he said. TechRadar said the massive data transfer appeared to have been caused by a bug.

TechRadar said its Lavazza coffee machine asked for access to contacts and call logs. The publication asked Lavazza why its app wants those permissions and why the smart features do not work even after the machine is connected. Starting a brew with the machine’s own app proved impossible, TechRadar said, and when it tried to brew an espresso through Google Home as the manual instructed, it was told the coffee maker 'doesn't support selecting specific drink types like espresso through smart home commands.' TechRadar said it had contacted both companies for comment and would keep readers updated.

In the United States, Consumer Reports has cautioned users about smart appliances for some time. Earlier this year it warned that increasingly, home appliances that rely on mobile apps for key functions and that collect data on users—whether they like it or not—are becoming the standard. That means that when people buy a new product, internet features and companion apps needed to operate them are much harder to avoid. TechRadar’s writer said their home heating boiler has an app, as does their dishwasher, and both were keen to gather data that had nothing to do with heating the home or washing pots and pans. Consumer Reports’ Steve Blair said he found a dryer that was sending the equivalent of 135,000 text messages per week to its manufacturer. 'What does a dryer have to say at that volume?' he asked.

There are benefits to connected devices, the TechRadar writer said. They liked an Instant Pot whose app could download slow cooking instructions for specific dishes, and they like being able to remotely pre-heat a hybrid car when it is cold outside.

But the writer said the biggest downside is not sinister surveillance: it is accidentally opening doors for bad actors. Appliance firms are not famed for their software expertise or website security, which creates a risk of data ending up where it should not, or of exploits that can target a device or other devices on a network. The less access a device has, the better, the writer said. Consumer Reports recommends thinking about data security before purchasing any connected product. 'Does your fridge need to be connected to Wi-Fi? Ask those questions,' it says. It recommends setting up a separate network on a router purely for smart devices, so that if they are compromised, attackers are not on the same network as a laptop or phone.

Nomad said he regrets going public about his parents’ chaotic Keurig. 'I always dreamed that I would be remembered for the weird printers I designed and the cool stuff I've worked on at Prusa,' he said. 'I wanted a legacy of creativity and chaos. I am now most known for a rogue coffee machine. I don't even like coffee.'