Some toys this holiday season come with data and privacy concerns, experts warn


A good rule of thumb, advocates say, is to really consider whether a toy or device needs to be Internet-connected or gather certain kinds of data at all. Why does the Hydroflask need your kid's location data? Should your kid's mirror collect and store images of your kid's face on the cloud? — Image by gstudioimagen on Freepik

The KidKraft toy kitchen looks normal as kids toy kitchens go. There are all the trimmings you'd find in an adult sized-kitchen: a fridge, oven, stovetop and sink. Plastic and wooden utensils and foods are tucked away in drawers or in the small pantry.

What makes the kitchen distinct isn't obvious. Many of the items include RFID chips that allow sensors placed around the kitchen to register them. Say a child is pretending to fry something on the stove, a speaker might play a sizzling sound. The RFID capability can attach to Echo Dots, Amazon's Alexa-hosting smart speaker product.

Uh-oh! Daily quota reached.


Experience an ad-free unlimited reading on both web and app.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

AI echo chambers: Chatbots feed our own bias back to us, study finds
Musk, Indonesian health minister, launch Starlink for health sector
Apple brings eye tracking to iPhone and iPad in accessibility update
What do Google’s AI updates mean for everyday users?
Preview: ‘MechWarrior 5: Clans’ takes a more cinematic approach to its giant robot campaign
Britain's M&S apologises after website and app hit by 'technical issue'
Honey, I love you. Didn’t you see my Slack about it?
The architects of ‘Hades’ strive to bewitch gamers again
A pithy YouTube celebrity’s plea: Buy this video game
Coming soon: Control your smartphone with facial expressions

Others Also Read