SecuRepairs will help judge the first ever “Worst In Show” awards ceremony for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) tomorrow (Friday) at noon Eastern Time. SecuRepairs founder Paul Roberts will participate as a judge for the biggest product security “fail” from this year’s CES, which brought a flood of new, “smart” wearable, home and health devices. (Note: Worst in Show is not affiliated with CES or the Consumer Technology Association.)
CES, which takes place this week, is the self-described “global stage for innovation.” It gives manufacturers an annual opportunity to show off shiny new tech, whether it’s fridges you open with your voice, AI-powered robot vacuums, or $3,000 smartphone-operated doggie doors. Some of it could be life-changing stuff. But many products never see actual release, those that do often fall short—and far too many of them are insecure, unrepairable, and destined for the landfill.
While there’s plenty of flattering coverage of the show to go around, chronic but growing issues like e-waste and the trend towards “throw away” technology or the tsunami of “smart and connected” products that pose privacy and security risks to consumers and businesses often slip under the radar. That’s why iFixit and Repair.org teamed up to create the first-ever “CES: Worst in Show Awards“. Their goal is to draw attention to what might get overlooked: the least repairable, least secure, least privacy-conscious, and straight-up least useful products introduced this week in the name of “innovation” (read: consumption).
There are six award categories and a panel of expert judges to help sort things out.
- Repairability: Kyle Wiens (CEO and cofounder, iFixit)
- Privacy: Cindy Cohn (Executive Director, Electronic Frontier Foundation)
- Security: Paul Roberts (Founder, securepairs)
- Environmental Impact: Nathan Proctor (National Campaign Director, USPIRG)
- Community Choice: Selected by our community on Twitter, presented by Cory Doctorow (Special Advisor, Electronic Frontier Foundation)
- Overall Worst in Show: Cory Doctorow (Special Advisor, Electronic Frontier Foundation)
The panel of judges will announce the “winners” tomorrow, Friday, January 15 at 9am PST during a Zoom press call. They’ll discuss the main factors driving their decisions and answer any questions you might have.
Want to attend?
Members of the press may RSVP to attend the briefing via Zoom (audio only, if preferred) by contacting [email protected]. We’ll also stream the call live on the iFixit YouTube channel, and the final results will be posted later on Repair.org.
Where does Bose stand with securepairs?