Surveillance Toys, The Joy And Threat For Kids: How Secure Is your Child and Your Home From These Toys?
Over the decades, toys are manufactured and designed to fit the needs of children, including modernity. For the holiday, surveillance toys are available to bring joy to the children.
Recently, both Nuance Communication and Genesis Toys released their Surveillance toys for kids. However, advocates made the necessary steps to dissect the basic of privacy and security, especially for kids. These people made it clear that they are against it and filed a complaint with Federal Trade Commission.
Posing Risk To Children And Home Security
The advent of advanced technology also brings the risk of criminal activity using the Surveillance Toys. The toys from both companies are in question due to the arising fact that these internet-connected toys include cameras and voice recording devices. It means that it captures basic to private activity without getting any notice or parental waiver.
In the event that these technologies unknowingly hacked by a cybercriminal, it poses threat to the children and their home. The petitioning group included this text "predatory stalking or physical danger," in their complaint.
Company's Response To The Complaint
Several groups worked together on the complaint. They are The Electronic Privacy Information Center, The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, The Center for Digital Democracy, and Consumers Union. They believed that the surveillance toys is not safe.
On a blog post of Nuance Communication Vice President Richard Mack, it writes, that the company is serious about data privacy at all cost. He further emphasized that their end reviewed the complaint and made sure that they are a policy adhering company. He assured that they will ensure safety with their products and further develop the necessary features.
Toys Design and Features
These internet-dependent surveillance toys are made with the capacity to interact with children. Children can ask questions and it is programmed to get text answers on children friendly websites, and uploaded on the Nuance voice technology.
Another toy called "My Friend Cayla" comes with a mobile application where information of children directly stored before activating. This gives the toy the capacity to identify the necessary answers basing on the child's information from this called surveillance toys.
