Which? issues urgent security warning to families over popular air fryers

A report published by Which? has revealed an urgent security warning to owners of three popular air fryer brands.

Although air fryers have been available to buy since 2010, the appliance has only really been a common sight in our homes in the past couple of years as Brits looked for more quick and affordable ways to cook their food.

Fast forward to 2024 and most us cook - or knows someone who cooks - with an air fryer on the regular.

However Which? has now weighed in on the safety of smart appliances in the home - and it could be bad news if you own one of these brands.

Which? released the concerning report after testing various smart appliances (Getty Stock Images)

In a report titled 'Why is my air fryer spying on me?' the consumer advice site revealed that it had tested various smart appliances currently sold in the UK, with their findings reporting three products - the Aigostar, Xiaomi Mi Smart, and Cosori CAF-LI401S - wanted to know customers' precise location and had requested permission to 'record audio on the user's phone, for no specified reason'.

Which?'s report goes on to add that the Xiaomi app - which is linked to their air fryer products had connected to the following trackers: Facebook, Pangle (which is the ad network of TikTok for Business) and Chinese company Tencent (depending on the user's location).

Both of the Xiaomi and Aigostar fryers tested also sent information collected from users to servers in China - although Which? states that this is flagged in the user privacy notice.

Meanwhile, Aigostar had additionally had given users the option to enter in personal details such as gender and date of birth when setting up an account, however, this isn't mandatory.

Speaking about the report's findings, Harry Rose, Which? magazine editor, said: "Our research shows how smart tech manufacturers and the firms they work with are currently able to collect data from consumers, seemingly with reckless abandon, and this is often done with little or no transparency."

The Aigostar, Xiaomi Mi Smart, and Cosori CAF-LI401S air fryers were highlighted by the consumer research brand (Getty Stock Images)

Responding to the claims, a representative for Cosori said (via Which?): "We prioritise privacy, and subject to our internal compliance requirements, the smart products must comply with GDPR. However, without specific test reports from your firm or the test lab, we cannot comment further."

Meanwhile, a representative for Xiaomi told LADbible: "We are aware of the recent press release by Which? and some information in it including 'Xiaomi fryer sent people's personal information to servers in China' is inaccurate and misleading, which could be resulted from some misunderstandings. We are in the process of clarifying with Which?. Our privacy policy is developed to comply with applicable regulations such as the UK GDPR and the DPA 2018. By complying with local applicable laws and regulations in markets where Xiaomi operates, user data are stored in compliance with local laws. We reserve the right to take legal actions to protect our reputation."

Aigostar did not respond to Which?'s request for comment.

LADbible Group has also reached out to Cosori and Aigostar for additional comment.