Posted on 12/06/2016 8:50:31 AM PST by jcon40
EU and US consumer watchdogs announced Tuesday they are filing complaints against a clutch of smart toys that can “spy” on children and their homes, for allegedly breaching privacy and data protection laws.
The complaints target smart toys My Friend Cayla, i-QUE Intelligent Robot and Hello Barbie, according to the European Consumer Organization BEUC and US groups like the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).
Complaints are being filed with French and other European authorities as well as the US Federal Trade Commission.
Internet-connected Cayla and i-QUE, manufactured by Los Angeles-based Genesis Toys, hook up with a user via a phone or tablet while Hello Barbie links to the internet through Wi-Fi, said the consultancy Bouvet on behalf of the Norwegian Consumer Council.
Hello Barbie is not sold in Europe.
“By purpose and design, these toys record and collect the private conversations of young children without any limitations on collection, use, or disclosure of this personal information,” EPIC and other US watchdogs said in their complaint, which they say “concerns toys that spy”.
(Excerpt) Read more at heatst.com ...
Whenever a normal object gets a “smart” version, run away.
“Smart” is a euphemism for “surveillance”.
The concept of “privacy” has become obsolete.
That’s what the “Internet of Things” is all about.
The Amazon Echo and Google Home apparently record everything you say and saves it - no one can [WILL] explain why and what it is doing with this. Evene the lefty leaning Wired can't seem to explain it.
https://www.wired.com/2016/12/alexa-and-google-record-your-voice/
I KNEW we shouldn’t have purchased the Valerie Plame Barbie...
golly who didn’t see this coming? Remember the computers that a school sent home with kids having cameras to spy on the kids? then they get caught and act like they did nothing wrong-
Don’t own a smart tv- smart watch, smart appliances- smart lights etc- we were forced into a smart water meter however- but I’ve covered it in tin foil (j/k)
“OK dear, time to put the toys away in the Faraday Toybox so they don’t talk to us at night.”
“It’s not nice to tell little Sammy to burn things.”
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