How do you know if your holiday gift is going to leak your personal information or create an unlocked door for hackers to enter? Mozilla, the non-profit foundation that owns the web browser Firefox, has you covered.
Researchers there studied 70 popular consumer products in the US that owners can connect to the internet. The items are among the most popular holiday sale items at major retailers like Amazon, Mozilla said in a statement.
Mozilla investigated which items passed a set of minimum security standards. It designed the rubric with Consumers International, a global consumer-advocacy group, and the Internet Society, a nonprofit organization. To pass, a gadget must have encrypted communications, security updates, strong passwords requirements, effective management from developers to respond to security issues, and easily understandable privacy practices. Mozilla published the results of this study in a shopping guide called “*Privacy not included.”
About half of the products passed the security requirements. Often, products fell short because Mozilla researchers couldn’t obtain enough information from the companies. “That actually shows the state of play,” Ashley Boyd, vice president of Advocacy at Mozilla, told Quartz. “If we can’t get that information as researchers, how would a consumer? And how would a consumer possibly even know what questions to ask in the first place?”
Here is the list of products that fulfilled the standard requirements, and a list of what didn’t.
Gadgets that passed Mozilla security standards
- Nintendo Switch
- Google Home
- Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit
- Athena Safety Wearable
- Amazon Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet
- Amazon Echo
- Echo Plus & Dot
- Amazon Echo Show & Spot
- Apple Homepod
- Sonos One
- Mycroft Mark 1
- Nest Learning Thermostat
- Amazon Cloud Security Camera
- Nest Hello Video Doorbell
- Nest Cam Outdoor Security Camera
- Nest Cam Indoor Security Camera
- WyzeCam
- Behmor Brewer Coffee Maker
- Sony PS4
- Microsoft Xbox One
- Amazon Fire TV
- Roku Streaming Players
- Apple TV
- Apple iPad
- Fitbit Versa Watch
- Samsung Gear Sport
- Fitbit Aria 2 Scale
- Withings Body Scale
- Beeline Smart Compass for Bike
- Findster Duo Plus Pet Tracker
- Petnet SmartFeeder
- Petcube Play
- Furbo Dog Camera
- Petchatz HD
Gadgets that did not pass Mozilla security standards
- Google Chromecast
- Amazon Kindle
- Amazon Fire HD Tablet
- Apple Airpods
- Bose QuietComfort 35 II
- Jabra Elite 65T Earbuds
- Google Pixel Buds
- Garmin Vivosport
- Mobvoi TicWatch Pro
- Seedling Parker Teddy Bear
- Wonder Workshop Cue the Robot
- Wonder Workshop Dash the Robot
- Wonder Workshop Dot Creativity Kit
- DJI Technology DJI Spark Selfie Drone
- Zerotech Dobby Pocket Drone
- Parrot Bebop 2
- SkyRocket Sky Viper Journey
- CogniToys Dino
- Ozobot Evo Robot
- Sphero BB-8 Robot
- Sphero Mini
- Soundmoovz
- Philips Hue Smart Light Kit
- Nest Learning Thermostat
- Nest Hello Video Doorbell
- SmartThings Outlet
- Belkin WeMo Mini Smart Outlet
- Anova Precision Cooker Sous Vide
- FREDI Baby Monitor
- Quell 2.0 Wearable Pain Relief
- Tile Mate
- Hidrate Spark 2.0 Water Bottle
- Peloton Bike
- Whistle 3 Smart Tracker
- Tractive GPS 3G Pet Tracker
- Petzi Treat Cam