Prego, a popular sauce company, just launched a device designed to record private mealtime conversations among family and friends over a bowl of pasta. The brand's sales pitch looks great on paper, but some users have expressed growing concerns with regard to theirprivacy.

The recording device was designed in partnership with StoryCorps, a nonprofit organisation known for collecting stories from Americans. These stories are preserved at the Library of Congress for generations to come.

The Connection Keeper is a puck-like recording device that is placed at the centre of the dinner table during mealtime. The goal is for the device to record real dinnertime conversations. A button needs to be pressed on top of the puck-like device to start recording.

The device can be charged using a USB-C cable, and it comes with a 16GB microSD card. The device does not come with a screen, and it cannot be connected to the internet. Recorded conversations can be transferred to the StoryCorps portal using the cable. These recordings will be available and shareable starting 4 May.

The popular pasta sauce company Prego is launching a device that sits on your table and records dinner conversations“A small little puck that's designed to sit on your dinner table and record your conversations”Prego is partnering with a nonprofit called StoryCorps…pic.twitter.com/FBqvYAxRez

Some social media users have expressed concerns over their privacy if they decide to use the Connection Keeper. On X, some said that trust is the biggest question since the $20 (£15) device with no internet connection can record conversations with no verifiable safeguard on local recording.

Others are convinced that the conversations can be used to steal a person's information or worse, compromise their safety.

A $20 table device recording dinner conversations? Even with ‘no internet,’ trust would still be the biggest question.

'A $20 (£15) table device recording dinner conversations? Even with 'no internet,' trust would still be the biggest question,' one person wrote.

These corps love steeling your private info and selling for profit. i’ve yet to see a company offer the consumer money for their private info. Like pay the person providing the product should be a no brainer.

Source: International Business Times UK