“Smart Toys”: The consumer advice center advises caution!
[Information from the consumer advice center] Parents and grandparents are spoiled for choice in the run-up to Christmas when they want to choose toys. The offer is large. New are so-called “smart toys”, i.e. toys such as dolls, animals or robots that can communicate with children.
The essentials in brief:
- “Smart” toys can often talk to children. To do this, they usually record everything that is said in their area and transmit it to the Internet
- However, these network connections are sometimes not secure and can be misused by third parties for eavesdropping - or even to contact children
- The consumer advice centers recommend that if in doubt you should not buy it
These toys are usually connected to the Internet via WiFi and an app on the smartphone.
However, caution is advised here . Because: The technology built into such toys can endanger the privacy and safety of children.
According to a study by Stiftung Warentest, some providers do not adequately secure the connection between smartphone and toy. Any smartphone owner within reach would have the opportunity to access the toy and use it as a bug, for example.
In the worst case scenario, outsiders can use the microphones integrated into smart toys to launch an eavesdropping attack on the family. Smart toys often record everything that is said in the room.
There is also a risk that third parties will communicate with the child via the smart toy and, for example, give them instructions.
The consumer advice center therefore recommends:
Before buying smart toys, check carefully what functions the toy has, whether there is a constant connection to the Internet and whether microphones record everything that is said near the toy. If in doubt, consumer advice centers advise not to purchase.
The Federal Network Agency takes the dangers posed by such toys seriously: In February 2017, it classified a network-enabled doll (“ My friend Cayla ”) as a banned spy device.
Video from Stiftung Warentest
Smart Toys: This is how dangerous smart toys are
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Source: Consumer advice center , Stiftung Warentest
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )