It鈥檚 toy-buying season, and internet-connected toys are on a lot of kids’ lists. But there鈥檚 growing concern about how much data those toys are collecting.
Donna Wertalik, a professor at Virginia Tech鈥檚 department of marketing, told 草莓传媒 that smart toys are typically equipped with a camera or microphone and have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection.
鈥淧arents really need to check when it says [a toy] is compatible with an online platform or program,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat does that mean? Is there a privacy policy for the child? Where is the data being sent?鈥�
Wertalik said it鈥檚 not about 鈥渇reaking parents out,鈥� but rather encouraging them to be vigilant and aware about how tech toys collect data and how that data is being utilized.
She said parents should check the back of a toy box or the toy maker鈥檚 website for the privacy policy and see how they can opt out of data collection. If a company does not have a transparent privacy policy and parental safety controls, she said those are red flags.
She also advises parents not to buy the latest smart toys; instead, wait until there鈥檚 enough research gathered on the product鈥檚 safety.
Wertalik, co-host of the webisodes that highlight current issues about information privacy, is especially concerned about AI-powered toys that use Chatbot technology to learn and adapt to a user鈥檚 behavior.
Educational toy company VTech is planning on rolling out an AI-powered teddy bear in the coming years, which could generate customized bedtime stories based on information it collects about the child that owns it.
The Mozilla Foundation, a nonprofit organization that says it advocates for a healthier internet, recently released its featuring information privacy safety reviews of internet connected children鈥檚 toys and gadgets.
