Maybe it's not a good idea to connect everything to the Internet. It opens up vital systems to hackers, threats from power losses, and even EMP weapons or solar flares. It's also a new target for terrorists who are using and abusing technology to harm innocent people.
That last thing happened in hundreds of French supermarkets, when hackers defrosted refrigerators — raising temps as high as 50° C (122° F) — and spoiling massive amounts of food. This is terrorism, full stop, even if French authorities don't have the spine to classify it as such.
BREAKING: Hackers remotely defrost refrigerators at hundreds of French supermarkets, causing massive food spoilage.
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) October 12, 2026
A major cyberattack targeting commercial refrigeration systems across France has left more than 150 supermarkets facing millions of euros in damages after hackers remotely altered fridge temperatures overnight.
The attack compromised cold-chain control software across nationwide locations of Intermarché, E.Leclerc, and Coopérative U (Super U).
Rather than shutting systems off, the attackers remotely reprogrammed cooling regulators to force a continuous defrost cycle, driving internal temperatures up to 50C.
Store workers arriving on Monday morning discovered compromised units left vast quantities of fresh produce, meat, dairy, and frozen goods completely spoiled.
Dominique Schelcher, head of Coopérative U, confirmed his retail network was among those hit, stating that technical teams are now working alongside specialists to restore normal operations.
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Step one should be removing all refrigeration systems from the Internet. Not just in stores, but in warehouses, trucks, and any other aspect of our food-supply chain.
— Melissa Chen (@MsMelChen) October 12, 2026Build the Internet of Things, they said
It would be amazing, they said
It was not, in fact, amazing.
— Cartallica (@CartallicaX1) October 12, 2026All infrastructure will need to be taken offline.
Because the hacking danger gets worse now every few weeks.
We will go back to vaults, filing cabinets, and paper checks. 👈
And we are fine with this.
Yet another reason not to connect appliances to the internet.
— Greg Schaffer (@newtnoise) October 12, 2026
Forget terrorists for a second, imagine if the government decides to turn off your stove or refrigerator to "save energy" or to punish you for some crime.
I’m sorry, but hackers remotely turning off refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets and destroying all their fresh and frozen food is INSANE. We’ve connected so much of our physical world to the internet that apparently even keeping milk cold is now a cybersecurity… https://t.co/4g9SYvTlsb
— Rushi (@rushicrypto) October 12, 2026
Crippling the food supply is a great way to bring a country to its knees.
One of my fears of all the smart cars we have on our roads. One hacker can just decided to mess all of us up. https://t.co/PVaLL36vXJ
— Sir Teeman (@olateeman) October 12, 2026
Bingo. Pack a smart car with explosives and set it to drive to a crowded place or big event, and you don't even have to be a suicide bomber anymore. Or you can take control of a car and use it as a weapon while letting the owner take the fall for it.
And it doesn't have to be Islamic terrorists, either. Eco-terrorists who think people shouldn't eat meat or animal products, or even those who think we need to ban refrigeration — yes, they exist — could hack systems to terrorize consumers.
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