Kohler's Toilet Cameras, a Laughable Idea Turned Reality: Why You Should Be Concerned About Your Bathroom Data.
In 2025, Kohler’s smart toilet camera, known as the Dekota, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The device, which can upload an analysis of your bodily waste to a corporation's servers, was initially met with ridicule due to its laughable concept – but now it seems like a legitimate privacy risk.
Security researcher Simon Fondrie-Teitler recently exposed that Kohler’s camera does not utilize true end-to-end encryption as advertised. This typically means data is encrypted on the user device and can only be decrypted by the server, or "the other end." However, in this case, according to the company's definition of end-to-end encryption, data is only encrypted from the user device to Kohler’s server – essentially your rear end being one "end," and their backend the other.
This lack of true security has led to a removal of all instances of the term 'end-to-end encryption' in the description of the Dekota on Kohler's website. The move comes after Fondrie-Teitler pointed out that this definition is not what most people understand by end-to-end encryption, leaving users vulnerable to potential data breaches.
The Dekota and its implications are just the latest example of a growing trend towards smart home devices making our personal lives more exposed than ever before.
In 2025, Kohler’s smart toilet camera, known as the Dekota, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The device, which can upload an analysis of your bodily waste to a corporation's servers, was initially met with ridicule due to its laughable concept – but now it seems like a legitimate privacy risk.
Security researcher Simon Fondrie-Teitler recently exposed that Kohler’s camera does not utilize true end-to-end encryption as advertised. This typically means data is encrypted on the user device and can only be decrypted by the server, or "the other end." However, in this case, according to the company's definition of end-to-end encryption, data is only encrypted from the user device to Kohler’s server – essentially your rear end being one "end," and their backend the other.
This lack of true security has led to a removal of all instances of the term 'end-to-end encryption' in the description of the Dekota on Kohler's website. The move comes after Fondrie-Teitler pointed out that this definition is not what most people understand by end-to-end encryption, leaving users vulnerable to potential data breaches.
The Dekota and its implications are just the latest example of a growing trend towards smart home devices making our personal lives more exposed than ever before.