UK owners of smart home devices being asked for swathes of personal data

Which? said firms are gathering far more data than needed for products to function

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Owners of smart home devices are being asked for swathes of personal data that is then potentially shared with social media firms such as TikTok, research has found.

The consumer champion Which? found companies appear to be gathering far more data than is needed for products to function. This includes smart TVs that ask for users' viewing habits and a smart washing machine that requires people's date of birth.