Smart toys: what you should know before you buy one for your child

Learn a little about connected toys. Connected toys are Internet-enabled devices with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other built-in capabilities. These toys, which may or may not be smart toys, provide a more personalized experience for children through integrated software that includes voice recognition and web search features. A connected toy generally collects information about users, either voluntarily or involuntarily, which raises privacy concerns. The data collected by plugged-in toys is usually stored in a database, where companies that produce plugged-in toys can use the data for their own purposes under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).. Manufacturers and experts warn of the risks of not controlling devices that can access images and recordings of children, get personal information and even contact them.. There are four main dangers that e-toys, the connected electronic toys, generally known as smart-toys, project on the youngest in the house: the loss of personal data, the tracking of them as users, the remote control of the device and the interception of communications or their impersonation.. Very severely, the new guide ‘Cybersecurity in Smart Toys’ produced by the National Institute of Security (INCIBE) and the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers (AEFJ) points out that “the privacy of children’s data can be seriously compromised by toys equipped with communication capabilities with other devices to share data such as...

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