Watchdog issues new privacy guidelines to stop 'spying' air fryers, but have smart home appliances gone too far?

I've always naively shrugged off warnings around privacy when it comes to the smart appliances in my home. I have a robot vacuum cleaner, an air fryer and a fan all controlled by apps on my phone which promise to make my life easier. So what if they were gathering data on me? I didn't have anything to hide, and I'm ok with targeted ads (controversial, I know).

However, new guidance issued by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) this week directed at the makers of smart home appliances on what information they can collect has made me rethink my stance on smart appliances.

The new guidelines were prompted by a Which? investigation in December that discovered some air fryers and smart TVs were 'spying' on their owners via the phone they were connected to.

Three of the smart air fryers were found to be asking for customers' precise location and requesting permission to record audio on the user's phone. There was no specified reason for why it needed this information.

The data from these appliances was all sent back to servers in China, perhaps to improve the product or for 'targeted advertising'. However, what the tests by Which? highlighted was that we don't know what this information will be used for; there was no transparency.

Four out of five people in the UK are thought to own at least one smart appliance, according to research by Tech UK. So I know I'm not the only person who has input their postcode or date of birth into an appliance app to get it to work and not thought about why your air fryer or fan needs to know a birthday or address.

The new ICO guidance says that manufacturers and developers must consider data protection when designing the appliances. They must also be transparent about how any personal data is used if required. While this has given me more confidence in buying smart appliances, it has made me rethink whether I need them in the first place.

I am happy to welcome any innovation that makes my life easier, but after battling to get different apps to work, and topping it off with the privacy risks, sometimes the 'smart' part feels like more hassle than it's worth.

What's so wrong with using buttons on an appliance anyway?

Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliance Editor Molly Cleary agrees. 'It's my job to review kitchen appliances, but I can't say I've ever really found a smart small appliance that's ever wowed me,' she says. 'So when it comes to having to share lots of personal details to use something as well, I struggle to see the benefits. I'm waiting for the smart appliance that comes around to change my mind!'

Do you think smart appliances are worth it? Or are they an unnecessary privacy risk? Let us know what you think in the comments below.