Mozilla has published its annual 'Privacy Not Included' report, which lists gadgets and apps that spy on users. Many smart gadgets and IoT devices are known to leak data, with numerous reports over the years showing that some of them even transfer data to their servers in plain text. However, the latest report now calls out some top-rated apps and gadgets for the troubling privacy policies of their developers and manufacturers.

Mozilla is a renowned non-profit software maker developing the privacy-oriented web browser Firefox and the popular email client Thunderbird. It also has a highly-rated VPN service that it claims offers security, reliability, and speed without compromising privacy. The new list, which comes just ahead of Christmas, will likely help some people stay away from splurging on some of the creepiest gadgets and electronics on sale today.

Related: iPhone Privacy Report: How To See What Apps Are Monitoring You

Mozilla's 'Privacy Not Included' list comprises many IoT and smart home devices, many of which are well-known for being creepy. A case in point is Facebook's Portal smart display that comes with an always-on microphone and smart camera that Mozilla says is capable of "tracking your every move." However, some of the other devices on the list are more of a surprise, like the Peloton Bike and Peloton Tread. These devices made their way to the list because the company was recently threatening to brick them if their owners didn't pay a $39/month subscription, seemingly for child safety, following the tragic death of a 6-year old. Peloton has since backtracked on its threat following massive protests, but Mozilla rightly pointed out that any company even thinking of bricking hardware with an OTA update is just creepy and unacceptable.

Tinder Is Also Spying On You

Tinder Company Logo

Another highly popular device on the 'Privacy Not Included' list is the Galaxy Watch 4, and Mozilla says that Samsung's creepy privacy policies are to be blamed. According to Mozilla, "Samsung may share or sell personal information like your gender or location data to data brokers" unless users manually opt-out of sharing private health data from their watch. The report further claims that the process of opting out is "clunky" and cumbersome, something that even tech-savvy people may have problems with.

Alongside the Peloton hardware and Samsung smartwatches, some of the other notable gadgets on the list are DJI Mavic drones, Amazon Fire HD Kids Pro tablet, Oculus Quest 2, Amazon Echo Dot, Ring Always Home cam, and many more. The list also includes a whole bunch of popular mobile apps that Mozilla says have less-than-convincing privacy policies. That includes instant messaging apps, such as Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and the discontinued Houseparty, as well as a whole host of dating apps, such as Tinder, Plenty of Fish, Facebook Dating, Jdate, OkCupid, Bumble, Match.com, Coffee Meets Bagel, Grindr, and more.

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Source: Mozilla