Twenty years ago, a news story like this would have been relegated to the pages of a paranoid, tin-foil-hat wearing, conspiracy theory blog, but now, the Australian government has had to update its manufacturing guidance to protect consumers.
This is because some air fryers made in China have been eavesdropping on families' conversations, according to a new report from the Which? consumer reporting group.
The air fryers in question are "smart" appliances that are REQUIRED to be paired with users' phones in order to work correctly.
Three air fryers, made by the Chinese brands Xiaomi, Tencent, and Aigostar, wanted to record audio on their owner's phone for no specified reason, according to the Which? study.
The Aigostar and Xiaomi fryers also sent people's personal data to servers in China.
Can anyone tell me why my air fryer needs to be tethered to a smartphone with access to my personal data in order to get my chicken tenders crispy?
And the air fryers are just the beginning of Chinese smart devices digging for information.
The Huawei Ultimate smartwatch … requested nine "risky" phone permissions - the most of all the devices in the study.
Which? defines "risky" as giving invasive access to parts of someone's phone. This includes knowing the user's precise location, the ability to record audio, access to stored files or an ability to see all other apps installed.
Give me a dumb watch that just tells time any day.
So why do all these smart devices need your data?
Stephen Almond, executive director of regulatory risk at the ICO, told Sky News: "Ultimately, what we're seeing is actually consumers paying twice. Paying first for the product that they're buying, but then second, paying with their data.
"And that data is being used potentially for targeted advertising, also gathering more information about how the market is developing in this sort of area. So it's really important if these devices are to be used with trust by people, that the industry comes clean around how people's information is being used."
But the companies say they're very up front about their intent to invade people's privacy.
All you have to do is read their 8,000-word terms of agreement full of legal jargon you will never understand.
At least Australia is making an attempt to stem the flow of personal data with their new guidelines:
An ICO spokesperson said its fresh guidance for firms next year will "outline our clear expectations for what they need to do to comply with data protection laws and, in turn, protect people using smart products".
Until America does the same, you'll find me at my dumb grill in the backyard, clicking my tongs and wearing my tinfoil hat.
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