Press
*Privacy Not Included helps consumers shop for trustworthy connected products. But it also helps journalists cover connected products. Our research assists reporters in incorporating product privacy—and not just price and performance—into their consumer technology coverage.
If you’re a member of the press interested in speaking with Mozilla’s *Privacy Not Included team, please email Kevin Zawacki at [email protected]. Our researchers can answer questions about specific products, or speak to broader trends in the realm of privacy, security, and trustworthy AI. We can also provide high-resolution graphics and gifs from our guide.
Recognition
Mozilla’s *Privacy Not Included won a 2020 Webby in the “People’s Voice Award for Activism” category. Our five word acceptance speech? “Privacy is power. Demand it.”
Since launching 2017, *Privacy Not Included has garnered hundreds of stories. Highlights include:
Daily Dot: These sex toys and dating apps may jeopardize your privacy, Mozilla warns
Published February 2021. Writes The Daily Dot: “Mozilla’s new Privacy Not Included report looks at 50 sex toys and dating apps and ranks them based on how they respect users’ privacy. And the answers aren’t sexy.”
CBS News: Creepy gifts: Toys that spy on kids and coffee makers that track your habits
Published November 2020. Writes CBS: “Some holiday gifts are more festive than others, while those that snoop on their users could be seen as decidedly less so. So says the Mozilla Foundation, which recently posted its annual Privacy Not Included holiday gift guide.”
Mashable: Privacy experts reviewed popular video-chat apps, and *yikes*
Published April 2020. “[Mozilla] researchers combed through privacy policies, sifted through app specifications, and looked at critical questions,” Mozilla told Mashable of our special video chat app edition of *Privacy Not Included.
NPR: Mozilla’s Latest “Privacy Not Included” Buyer’s Guide
Published December 2019. Ashley Boyd, Mozilla’s VP of Advocacy and Engagement, spoke with host Steve Inskeep about the surveillance features that are often built into consumer technology.
Here’s a warning that should be on some of the items on your holiday shopping list—privacy not included. That’s the point of a shopping guide put out by the Mozilla Foundation.
— Steve Inskeep, NPR
NBC News: The downside of connected tech: Are the smart devices in your home spying on you?
Published December 2019. Ashley Boyd spoke with NBC about giving consumers more control over their personal data.
USA Today: Before you buy, consider privacy, please
Published November 2019. Mozilla researcher Becca Ricks spoke with technology columnist Jefferson Graham about the privacy and security flaws of connected doorbells.
The folks at the Mozilla Foundation, which makes the Firefox browser, have consumers in mind with a new chart outlining the worst privacy offenders this holiday season.
— Jefferson Graham, USA Today
Toronto Star: How creepy is that Christmas gift? A guide to seasonal tech
Published December 2018. Jen Caltrider, Mozilla’s Content Strategy Lead, explains how *Privacy Not Included can spur manufacturers to create more responsible tech.
NPR: A Tech Foundation Discusses Security And Privacy When It Comes To Smart Devices
Published December 2018. Ashley Boyd speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about the need to consider privacy alongside price and performance when purchasing a connected gift.
WIRED: Mozilla Makes a Naughty List of Gifts that Aren’t Secure
Published November 2018. Writes WIRED: “In its second annual Privacy Not Included guide, the nonprofit highlights internet-connected items that value your privacy—and the ones that may not.”
Cheddar: Mozilla Ranks Cyber-Safety of Your Holiday Shopping List
Published November 2018. Mozilla visited Cheddar’s studio in Manhattan to talk through the most and least creepy products in *Privacy Not Included.
New York Times: Don’t Give Kids Holiday Gifts That Can Spy on Them
Published December 2017. Writes Ashley Boyd in this print and digital op-ed: “During the holiday season, my husband and I tend to offer suggestions to those who are generous enough to insist on buying presents for our kids. This year we’re adding a new rule to our list: No toys that can spy.”
ABC San Francisco: Your privacy may be at risk with some toys, gadgets
Published December 2017. Mozilla visited ABC 7’s studio in San Francisco to talk through the most and least creepy products in *Privacy Not Included.