How do Smart Toys Interact with the Kids
Smart toys like Hello Barbie, CogniToys Dino, Toymail Talkie, and many others have the capability to interact with a child using voice commands, and the toy makers use different technologies to implement this feature.
These smart toys have a built-in camera, microphone and speakers; the child usually interacts with such toys by pressing a physical button and then speaking something to the toy; the toy in turn understands the commands and provides a suitable answer or carries out some function.
Why Should Parents be Concerned?
Lot of “Smart toys” now come with built-in camera and microphones, and if they are hacked, hackers can use it to record what’s going on inside the house, including children’s rooms. Experts suggest that most of the these connected toys lack even the most basic cybersecurity measures, making them a likely target for abuse.
With technology (such as the Internet of Things) featuring prominently in toys meant for kids, even toys are now prone to hacking.
- Your kid’s smart toys can be hacked. Hackers can use your child’s toys to spy on you.
- Strangers can talk to your child through ‘connected’ toys (known as audio injection attack). They can ask the child to reveal more information or perform actions such as changing the combination keys of the lock.
- Attackers could lie to the child about the parents, or they could even bully the child thus affecting their self-esteem and making them lose their trust on toys and technology.
This Doll is Banned in Germany
“Cayla ist verboten in Deutschland,” said the president of Germany’s Federal Network Agency (the Bundessnetzagentur), announcing a ban on the doll ‘My Friend Cayla’ in Germany.
German regulators feel that the toy is essentially a stealthy espionage device that sends whatever it hears back to its makers, and is also vulnerable to takeover by third parties. The regulators say that they have a special obligation to protect the privacy of children, calling them the most vulnerable members of society.
Goodbye Spy #Toy: #Germany Bans My Friend #Cayla Doll | https://t.co/RcIiVGTPWy #IoT #Security #Privacy #Surveillance pic.twitter.com/P6gkrDqzkU
— HackRead.com (@HackRead) February 18, 2017
Stranger Danger
A walkie talkie toy with bluetooth feature can be hacked, says this report. A walkie talkie made by Vtech could potentially be hacked by a nearby stranger and s/he could potentially talk to them.
“Based on all this information we have gathered, we believe that there is a risk of someone observing a child playing with the walkie talkies and exploiting the above scenario,” said the report.
Cyber-security experts. are of the opinion that these are very simple security flaws that can easily be fixed and there should be no excuse for big brand names to be vulnerable.
How to Safeguard Your Privacy
In case you are using smart connected toys, here’s how you to safeguard your child’s and your family’s privacy with these Internet of Toys around you.
- You can check online to see how you can make your internet device/router safer, in order to reduce the chances of getting hacked.
- Use a pseudonym separately for your child in order to connect to the internet, and make sure you do not provide their real birth date.
- In case the toy (or its associated app) is tracking the toy, disable the location tracker if possible.
- When the toy is not in use, disable its WiFi and Bluetooth connection.
- Make sure the camera and the microphone are also turned off when the toy is not in use.
- Teach your children about privacy and why the must not share a lot of information.
Sources Referred
From Barbies to bears, interactive ‘smart toys’ could be a hacker’s plaything
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) update its Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Funtoyworld is a family-managed website with me (Ben), and my wife doing most of the work. We are proud parents of two wonderful kids and love reviewing toys. We have a firm but friendly “democratic parenting” style and offer several practical suggestions backed by extensive research. Our own experience with raising two children prompted us to share our knowledge. Read more.
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