Consumer and privacy advocates rank the ‘Worst in Show’ CES products

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been dissected in detail by a group of consumer and privacy advocates who have concluded that certain technological innovations presented at the event should be flagged as “Worst in Show”. The group came to this conclusion based on negative impacts the product could have, its uniqueness and whether it is significantly worse than its predecessors. Some of the judges represent Consumer Reports, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the right-to-repair advocates iFixit.

This year’s CES put a spotlight on automotive technology, with two awards in the “Worst in Show” category being given to BMW. One of these awards involved BMW’s partnership with Amazon’s Alexa, which would allow an Alexa “car expert” to provide instructions and answer questions about vehicle functions in a human-like conversation. However, this innovation raises concerns about the potential for abusive tracking and misuse. Amazon and BMW have been called upon to establish safeguards to protect victims from car-based surveillance and abuse.

BMW’s augmented-reality glasses designed by Xreal, intended to display helpful information and virtual objects while driving, also received negative feedback. One judge described the product as a “recipe for distracted driving” and raised concerns about the potential for vision-obscuring advertisements. BMW and Amazon were unavailable for comment.

Furthermore, Sennheiser’s new fourth-generation Momentum True Wireless earbuds caught the attention of judges; these $300 earbuds are seen as “too disposable” due to the lack of repairability and poor battery performance. Sennheiser has been called upon to make the battery easier to replace and provide repair options for the product.

Separately, U.S. PIRG’s Nathan Proctor identified as his “Worst in Show” the new video ads slated for Instacart’s “AI-powered” shopping carts, as they push junk foods based on past shopping behavior. The pilot program is set to include ads from companies like General Mills, Del Monte Foods, and Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream.

The issue of intrusive data-gathering was raised in relation to China-based Ecovac’s new X2 Combo robot vacuum, which the judges found to be equipped with elements of intrusive home surveillance. The new product has been criticized as having an uncertain security protocol for its unencrypted images and video feeds. Additionally, Revolution Cooking’s new $1,800 “macrowave,” hailed at CES 2024, combines a microwave with a convection oven. However, the judges highlighted the negative environmental impact of such IoT appliances, which contribute to wasteful overconsumption and dispose of simpler, perfectly functional appliances.