BE careful what you get your kids this Christmas!
The Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has warned parents in the lead up to Christmas of safety issues surrounding particular toys that may put their child’s security at risk
UK consumer watchdog Which? recently urged major retailers to withdraw a number of “connected” toys that are expected to be popular at Christmas, after finding security failures that could put a child’s safety at risk.
The investigation found issues with Bluetooth and wifi-enabled toys that could allow strangers to talk to a child.
The investigation found that four out of seven of the tested toys could be used to talk to the children playing with them. These included the Furby Connect, i-Que Intelligent Robot, Toy-Fi Teddy and CloudPets.
In each case, the Bluetooth connection had not been secured, meaning that person didn’t need a password, pin code or any other authentication to gain access.
When turned on, the toys could be connected with any device within a Bluetooth range of up to 30 meters.
With the Toy-Fi Teddy, the investigation found that a child could send and receive recorded messages through Bluetooth via a tablet app or smartphone. It found that as the toy had no authentication protections, hackers could send a child voice messages and receive answers.
Advice issued by the DPC around Christmas time last year said:
“These toys, especially dolls, may give the appearance of having a personality and human-like quality that appeals to children. In some instances, the toys can recognise words and react in certain ways which suggest an emotional response to what the child says or does.”
When buying toys in the lead up to Christmas, the DPC said that people should be aware of whether it has microphone, cameras or Bluetooth connections attached. It advised that people read the packaging and manuals that come with toys to see how these sensors work and what you can do to control them.
