Microwaves spying on people? It might sound ridiculous. But it’s a possibility within the pretty near future — at least in theory.
Similar to other smart appliances like refrigerators, TVs and thermostats that have appeared in recent years, some tech companies have suggested the idea of a smart microwave. One idea that was successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter last year featured a smart microwave with a built-in microphone. But that product has yet to actually come to fruition.
However, even if smart microwaves start hitting the shelves tomorrow, any data they collect will likely be used by companies that want to make more personalized products — not for things like government surveillance. In fact, any government entity would likely need a court to sign off on them receiving any such data.
Smart Devices Still Need to Overcome Internet of Things Privacy Issues
In the end, companies that offer these smart appliances or any product or service that gathers data about consumers still have to walk a fine line. People are sensitive about privacy issues, especially now that there are so many different devices that can potentially gather data about them. So being up front about what each product can do and how any potential data might be used is paramount for businesses of all sizes.
Microwave Photo via Shutterstock
This article, “Microwaves Can’t Spy on People – But Businesses Still Need to Be Aware of Privacy Issues (Watch)” was first published on Small Business Trends