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A Keurig coffee maker reportedly generated more than a terabyte of network traffic in roughly 10 days, prompting its owner’s son to disconnect it and ask what a coffee machine could possibly be uploading.[1]
“I looked further into this, it did broadcast 1TB of data, but most of that didn't escape my network,” the owner’s son, @NomadsGalaxy, wrote in a now-viral X thread.
There’s no evidence here that Keurig received a terabyte of personal information, but Nomad said, “It did saturate my AP, that sucked.
“It's not worth keeping an [internet of things (IoT)] device connected that has the capability of bugging out and causing saturation like this did,” he added.
What your smart Keurig collects
Keurig’s own privacy policy says its internet-connected home brewers collect usage history, including beverage variety, brew size, and strength preferences.
The policy also says these brewers contain a camera that images the area where the pod sits, supporting certain connected services and diagnostics. That description doesn’t establish that the machine films your kitchen.
Across its brewers, apps, and websites, Keurig Dr Pepper says it collects device identifiers, IP addresses, and service activity. It says it can link brewing preferences to your account.
The company lists personalized offers and targeted advertising among its uses of personal information. It also describes sharing limited categories of information in hashed or pseudonymous form with analytics and advertising partners.
Those disclosures cover several services. They don’t establish that every coffee maker collects every listed category, or that the unexplained traffic contained advertising data.
Even so, connecting a brewer gives a coffee company another way to learn what you like. You may welcome recommendations and automatic reordering. You may also prefer to buy coffee without turning your tastes into account data.
How to limit what your coffee maker shares
Start by deciding whether you actually use the connected features. If you don’t, check your model’s instructions for using it offline and disabling Wi-Fi. You may lose app controls or other connected functions.
If you keep it online, take a few practical steps:
- Review app permissions. Restrict permissions you don’t need, and check the account’s privacy and advertising options.
- Keep software current. Install available brewer, app, and router updates.
- Separate connected appliances. Use an isolated guest or IoT network where your router supports it. This helps limit access to your other devices; it doesn’t stop the manufacturer’s own data collection.
- Check unusual activity. If your router provides device traffic statistics, look for unexplained spikes. Disconnect a problematic appliance while you investigate.
It’s good practice to review smart-device data practices, keep firmware updated, and separate IoT devices from computers. Our guide to securing smart home devices walks through additional settings.
You shouldn’t need to become a network engineer to make breakfast. Before connecting another appliance, it’s reasonable to ask whether the features are useful enough to justify sharing more of your daily life.