Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)
A report of an LG “smart” washing machine using 3.6GB of data per day prompts concerns that internet‑connected appliances are either buggy, locked in endless update loops, or hijacked into botnets. Commenters use the case to highlight broader worries about IoT privacy, captive cloud services, forced connectivity, and opaque data collection from everyday home devices. Many express a preference for simpler, repairable appliances with physical controls and local interfaces, arguing that current designs prioritize recurring revenue and data harvesting over user control and reliability.
Suspected cause of the 3.6 GB/day traffic
- Many assume the washer was hacked and used in a botnet or as a residential proxy.
- Others suggest a broken firmware update / retry loop, repeatedly failing and re-sending.
- A few joke about it having “become conscious” or streaming video, but the core concern is unexplained outbound data.
IoT security and privacy worries
- Commenters highlight that IoT devices with mics (washers, dryers, lightstrips, bulbs) sit inside private spaces and often remain discoverable over Bluetooth or Wi‑Fi.
- Past botnets like Mirai and anecdotes of hacked fridges sending spam reinforce that appliance compromise is not theoretical.
- Several note that people still underestimate how much IoT contributes to DDoS and proxy networks.
Containment strategies and “offline” design
- Some users keep appliances completely offline or deliberately buy non‑smart models.
- Others isolate Wi‑Fi devices on dedicated VLANs with no internet, or block outbound traffic via firewall rules.
- Zigbee (and possibly Matter) are preferred by some because devices can function locally without cloud access.
- Workarounds like deauth attacks, honeypot APs, Faraday shielding, or physically removing network modules are discussed, including similar tactics for car modems.
Debate over “tech-savvy” and norms
- Several argue that connecting a washer to Wi‑Fi is inherently unwise; others respond that noticing and quantifying abnormal traffic is relatively tech-savvy compared to the general public.
- There’s recognition that many professionals in tech happily use cloud‑tied “smart” appliances and apps.
User experience: buttons, dials, and accessibility
- Strong nostalgia for mechanical knobs and real buttons; widespread dislike of capacitive touch controls, encoder wheels, and app-only features.
- Some report unsafe or unusable designs (e.g., cooktops that can’t be turned off when wet, ovens that only expose full functionality via a bad phone app).
- Accessibility problems are raised: capacitive panels are hard for visually impaired users; workarounds like adding tactile markers are shared.
Business incentives and consumer responsibility
- Long subthread blames profit-growth incentives: data harvesting, subscriptions, planned obsolescence, and “smart” lock‑in.
- Others argue consumers enable this by buying shiny, app-driven models instead of simpler appliances, despite existing low-tech options.