Smart TVs and digital assistants are leaking user data to Netflix, Facebook and advertisers

Smart TVs and home devices are harvesting consumers' personal data and funnelling it to big technology companies, researchers have warned. Sensitive information such as one's exact location is reportedly being wired to corporations such as Facebook, Amazon and Netflix - even if the person is not their customer. The findings from a team at the Northeastern University in Boston and Imperial College London came as fears of creeping privacy intrusion is grabbing headlines across the globe. Smart TVs and home devices are harvesting consumers' personal data and funnelling it to big technology companies, researchers have warned Sensitive information such as one's exact location is reportedly being wired to corporations such as Facebook, Amazon and Netflix - even if the person is not their customer David Choffnes, computer scientist at Northeastern University, said: 'Amazon is contacted by almost half the devices in our tests, which stands out because [this means] Amazon can infer a lot of information about what you're doing with different devices in your home, including those they don't manufacture.' A total 81 devices - including products by LG and Samsung - were monitored in the US and the UK to determine how much personal data was logged and where it was exported to, according to the Financial Times.