As we draw ever-closer to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the shopping days in between, you'll have no shortage of cheap, flashy, internet-connected gadgets to choose from for holiday gifts. But in the frenzy, don't forget that the widgets you buy will live at recipients' houses—or on their wrists—for months or years to come. With that in mind, it's worth considering security and privacy risks involved, so you know what you're getting people into before they unwrap the box.
Connected devices have a problematic track record on security and data privacy, whether they're being used in businesses, industrial control systems, or homes. And sensors like cameras or devices that track your location generate very sensitive data that could be abused. That doesn't mean you have to avoid IoT devices at all costs. But it's worth weighing the potential risks when deciding whether to get someone an internet-connected gadget, and choosing which one specifically to gift.
In the last year alone, companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple were caught using human reviewers to transcribe some user audio recordings from smart speakers—a practice consumers didn't know about and largely couldn't control before the revelations. Google's Nest Guard product turned out to have an undocumented microphone in it that no one knew about. And an army of off-brand—or "white label"—IoT devices has continued to think twice before giving gifts microphone camera
