Kohler Can Access Pictures from "End-to-End Encrypted" Toilet Camera

Summary

In October Kohler launched Dekota, a $600-plus-monthly-subscription device that attaches to the rim of your toilet and collects images and data from inside, promising to track and provide insights on gut health, hydration, and more. To allay the obvious privacy concerns, the company emphasizes the sensors are only pointed down, into the bowl, and assures potential buyers that the data collected by the device and app are protected with "end-to-end encryption”.Kohler Health’s homepage, the page for the Kohler Health App, and a support page all use the term “end-to-end encryption” to describe the protection the app provides for data. Many media outlets included the claim in their articles covering the launch of the product.However, responses from the company make it clear that—contrary to common understanding of the term—Kohler is able to access data collected by the device and associated application. Additionally, the company states that the data collected by the device and app may be used to train AI models.What is End-to-End Encryption?"End-to-end encryption", or E2EE, is a method of securing data that ensures only the sender and their chosen recipient are able to view it. Correctly implemented, it prevents other parties, including the developer of the application, from accessing the protected data. E2EE is best known for its use in messaging applications like WhatsApp, iMessage, and Signal, where it allows users to communicate securely and privately without worrying about their messages being seen by prying eyes at the app developers, internet service providers, and even governments.E2EE also provides an additional layer of protection if the servers of the application developer are compromised by an attacker. Any data stored on those servers will be meaningless to the attacker, which can significantly reduce the impact of a breach. For a more detailed look at E2EE, see A Deep Dive on End-to-End Encryption from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.What is Kohler Doing...