Cybernews study reveals privacy transparency failures in leading router brands

A study by Cybernews analyzing the privacy policies of 25 leading router brands has revealed significant transparency failures regarding user data collection. The analysis found that 100% of the vendors failed to specify whether they log DNS requests, which could reveal a user's browsing history through timestamped domain names.

Furthermore, the study highlighted concerns regarding geolocation and network monitoring. Approximately 92% of the brands either partially confirm or fail to disclose if they harvest nearby Wi-Fi network identifiers, such as SSIDs and BSSIDs, potentially enabling invasive physical location tracking. Additionally, 80% of the manufacturers do not clarify if their devices perform Deep Packet Inspection (DPI).

The report notes that many companies use overly broad, corporate-wide privacy policies rather than router-specific documentation, creating legal ambiguity. In several instances, relevant privacy terms are only accessible after a consumer has already purchased, registered, or configured the device. Among the brands analyzed, D-Link and Omada received higher transparency scores, while ASUS received the lowest score in the sample.