10 TB of mysterious data and access to your calls and contacts: ‘smart’ coffee makers are the perfect example of why a privacy revolt is happening
- Do you know what data your smart devices can access?
- It is now expected that online connection to all types of devices will be allowed
- Think before you buy: does it have to be smart?
Your smart TV may not be the only smart device that’s leaking your data—your coffee machine may be doing it, too. An American man went viral after seeing his parents’ Keurig coffee machine transmit a terabyte of data in just 10 days, and here at TechRadar we just received a Lavazza coffee machine requesting access to our contacts and call logs.
What is happening? Should I also worry about my dishwasher’s Wi-Fi?
In the case of Keurig, the massive data transfer appears to be due to a bug. In a post on X, IT expert Nomad said he unplugged the device because “an IOT is not worth keeping around [Internet of Things] connected device that has the ability to fail and cause saturation like this one did.”
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As for our Lavazza, we’ve asked the company which app wants those specific permissions and why its smart features don’t seem to work even after being connected. Starting a brew using the machine’s own app proved impossible, and when we asked it to make us an espresso via Google Home, as noted in the manual, we were informed that the coffee maker “does not support the selection of specific beverage types such as espresso via smart home commands.”
As the song says, we ain’t seen nothing yet. With ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AIs implemented in all types of technology, there is the potential for real privacy issues to arise. We have contacted both companies for comment and will keep you updated when we have more details.
When smart devices are too smart
In the United States, Consumer Reports has been warning users about smart appliances for some time. At the beginning of this year warned: “Increasingly, home appliances that rely on mobile apps for key functions and that collect data about you, whether you like it or not, are becoming the standard. That means that when you buy a new product, in whatever category you choose, the Internet features and companion apps needed to operate them are much harder to avoid.”
I’ve experienced it myself: the heating boiler in my house has an application, as does my dishwasher. They were both tremendously interested in collecting data that had nothing to do with heating my house or washing my pots and pans. And that’s just the data the apps were openly asking about. Steve Blair of Consumer Reports said he found a dryer that sent the equivalent of 135,000 text messages a week to its manufacturer. “What does a dryer have to say at that volume?” asked.
Of course, connected devices have advantages. I like my smart home things. I had an Instant Pot whose app could download slow cooking instructions for specific dishes, and I like being able to remotely preheat my hybrid car when it’s cold outside.
But there are downsides too, and I think the biggest one isn’t sinister surveillance: it accidentally opens doors for bad actors. As a general rule, appliance companies are not known for their software expertise or the security of their websites and that means there is a risk of data ending up where it shouldn’t or of exploits occurring that can target your device or other devices on your network. That means the less access a device has, the better.
I agree with Consumer Reports here: It recommends thinking about data security before purchasing any connected product. “Does your refrigerator need to be connected to Wi-Fi? Ask those questions.” Recommends setting up a separate network on your router exclusively for smart devices; That way, if they are compromised, the attackers won’t be on the same network as your laptop or phone.
As for Nomad, he regrets taking his parents’ chaotic Keurig public. “I always dreamed that I would be remembered for the strange printers I designed and the cool things I worked on at Prusa,” he says. “I wanted a legacy of creativity and chaos. Now I’m best known for a broken coffee machine. I don’t even like coffee 🫠”
I always dreamed that I would be remembered for the strange printers I designed and the cool things I worked on at Prusa. I wanted a legacy of creativity and chaos. Now I’m best known for a faulty coffee machine. I don’t even like coffee 🫠October 8, 2026
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