Wyze, a rising star in the smart home device market, has had its fair share of controversies, some of which may have tarnished its reputation among some consumers. You see, in 2024, around 13,000 Wyze camera owners have seen a stream from other owners. The media picked up on the incident and even Wirecutter (of New York Times fame) openly stopped recommending the manufacturer.
Fortunately, Wyze learned from its mistakes and regained the trust of major media outlets like CNET in the two years since the massive incident. This is good news for those looking to buy solid smart home devices on a budget. Wyze cameras are very inexpensive, with the Wyze Cam OG being one of the best no-subscription security cameras. Still, it’s natural to wonder what’s wrong with a $59 4K smart security camera with night vision. Is Wyze Cam Chinese, and if so, who is Wyze’s parent company?
In short, Wyze is an independent company created by former Amazon employees. Leveraging their experience working for such a large conglomerate, the founders, as the company’s website states, aim to become the “most customer-centric” manufacturer in the smart home industry. Based in Kirkland, Washington, Wyze has no qualms about manufacturing its products in China, but has in the past assured consumers that it has full control over the customer experience and functionality of its API.
Can you trust Wyze?
Wyze is its own company, so to speak, but for some users, any connection to China is an instant red flag. If Wyze using Tianjin Hualai technology for manufacturing is a problem for you, then you should abandon most tech companies. For example, Ring doorbell cameras are made in China, as are Eufy products. In fact, Wyze is not the only company working with Tianjin Hualai Technology. Others include Xiaomi and, again, Amazon. The Chinese manufacturer is one of the Amazon Kinesis Video Streams partners.
While the “Made in China” badge might not be such a big deal, you might still wonder if Wyze is selling your data. According to the company, it does not sell your personal data directly. However, it collects data points for the purpose of displaying interest-based advertisements. This is pretty standard and similar to what Amazon does with your personal information.
Ultimately, you will see many websites discouraging you from purchasing Wyze products. For example, Consumer Reports says you should avoid Wyze at all costs. Still, the company has worked hard to address security issues, from implementing penetration testing to overhauling its approach to metadata. This seems to be working, given that 2024 was the last time a major public cybersecurity incident took place. Additionally, Wyze wasn’t the only company with its fair share of controversies. Eufy also had its moment, when it was revealed that its cameras lacked end-to-end protection. Heck, Ring even monitored customers. The difference is that these incidents simply went unnoticed, while Wyze was not so lucky.
