Kohler, a home goods maker, launched a smart camera called Dekoda that attaches to toilet bowls and analyzes images for gut health advice. The company claims its sensors only see down into the toilet and data is secured with “end-to-end encryption.” However, security researcher Simon Fondrie-Teitler points out that this term is incorrect and could mislead users. Kohler’s actual encryption method is Transport Layer Security (TLS), used by HTTPS websites.
The company says user data is encrypted on devices and servers, but this doesn’t guarantee the camera can’t access customer photos for AI training. A representative told Fondrie-Teitler that algorithms are trained on de-identified data only, but this doesn’t necessarily protect users’ privacy.
The Dekoda smart camera costs $599 with a monthly subscription of at least $6.99, sparking concerns about its true security features and potential uses of user photos.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/03/end-to-end-encrypted-smart-toilet-camera-is-not-actually-end-to-end-encrypted