If the product functioned, but had a security flaw like that (which doesn't reveal personal information, etc, just could allow someone else to turn your item on or off), I would have given it two stars. It is functional, and for some use-cases it could work (i.e., blocked from the outside Internet). One star would be if it didn't work, or opened a back door from your home network to China.

Still, he shouldn't cave in. The 'they'll fire me' story probably isn't true!