As a jaded tech journalist, I’m in a battle to keep ‘smart’ devices out of my home – despite my partner’s efforts | Victoria Turk

Consumer group Which? found that three air fryers it tested had connected phone apps that requested permission to record audio not something you’d imagine to be a critical function for an object whose sole purpose is to cook food.

The devices also wanted to know users’ exact locations.

Smart doorbells might watch you enter and leave your house, fitness watches might constantly track your location.

The more people learn about how smart devices handle personal information, the less they trust them.

A citizen jury found that IoT products collect an excessive and often unnecessary amount of personal information.

The report proposed several commonsense solutions, including clearer privacy policies with bullet points and large text, audio or visual signals to indicate when a smart device is collecting information.