I have something I think is an "eyes on" type situation. In my midwest region I've experienced some oddities with smoke detectors. Our house detectors (wired in) started to "chirp" weeks ago. Replaced the battery in one but it continued to "chirp" (Battery provides back-up if power goes out). Funny thing is that one other person in my city experienced the same. Then someone from a nearby town.
My hypothesis is (other than coincidence) that incoming solar radiation/particles could be doing something or else the detectors are being hijacked for something nefarious. If something nefarious is going on I wonder if it would have to do with "smart meters" and appliances.
When I read of defective products my assumption is that the failures are random and due to shoddy workmanship. I don't usually think of intentional "defects" or sabotage. Here's an example I recall from a while ago: https://www.extremetech.com/electronics/236433-certain-samsung-washers-at-risk-of-explosion-even-without-a-note-7-in-the-spin-cycle
I think that Bobby Piton was critical of China made electronic toys for children, believing they could come to life from unseen control and harm people. I don't know how likely that is, but if my "coincidence" with the smoke detectors isn't coincidence it strikes me as a possible lead up to something going off inside people's homes with little warning from any devices we think would set off an alarm.