> Even I, as a very technical person, could not evaluate if something is "hackable" without a huge amount of work, and not before I've purchased it.
Teardowns, reviews etc… Of course, there is no silver bullet, but researching before buying really goes a long way.
Whatever I buy smart, I always check if I can flash alternative firmware to it or if it can be used locally only - for example.
Like similar cases (is this car roadworthy? are airplanes safe?), this is the classic case for regulation.