By Study Finds
Remember when toys were simple? A stuffed animal was just a stuffed animal, and the only data it collected was the occasional ketchup stain or grass mark from outdoor adventures. But in today’s digital age, your child’s favorite playmate might be secretly moonlighting as a miniature surveillance device, collecting data on everything from playtime habits to personal preferences.
Welcome to the brave new world of smart toys, where every playtime could be a potential privacy pitfall. An eye-opening new study by researchers from the University of Basel uncovers alarming shortcomings in the privacy and security features of popular smart toys, raising concerns about the safety of children’s personal information.
The study, published in the journal Privacy Technologies and Policy, examined 12 smart toys available in the European market. These included toys equipped with internet connectivity, microphones, cameras, and the ability to collect and transmit data. They include household names like the Toniebox, Tiptoi smart pen, and the ever-popular Tamagotchi. Think of them as miniature computers disguised as playful companions.
At first glance, these high-tech toys seem like a parent’s dream. Take the Toniebox, for instance. This clever device allows even the youngest children to play their favorite stories and songs with ease – simply place a figurine on the box, and voila! The tale begins. Tilt the box left or right to rewind or fast-forward. It’s so simple that even a toddler can master it.
Here’s where the plot thickens: while your little one is lost in the world of Peppa Pig, the Toniebox is busy creating a digital dossier. It meticulously records when it’s activated, which figurine is used when playback stops, and even tracks those rewinds and fast-forwards. All this data is then whisked away to the manufacturer, painting a detailed picture of your child’s play patterns.
The Toniebox isn’t alone in its data-gathering ways. The study found that many smart toys are collecting extensive behavioral data about children, often without clear explanations of how this information will be used or protected. It’s like having a constant surveillance system watching your child’s every move during playtime.
“Children’s privacy requires special protection,” emphasizes Julika Feldbusch, first author of the study, in a statement.
She argues that toy manufacturers should place greater weight on privacy and on the security of their products than they currently do in light of their young target audience. The study also found that most toys lack transparency when it comes to data collection and processing. Privacy policies, when they exist at all, are often vague, difficult to understand, or buried in fine print. This means parents are often in the dark about what information is being collected from their children and how it’s being used.
Read More: Your Child’s Smart Toy is a Data Scientist — Here’s How It’s Quietly Watching and What it’s Learning