‘Chilling’: Smart Toys Are Increasingly Recording and Tracking Your Kids, Warns Watchdog Report
Santa’s watchful eye will have an unyielding rival this Christmas: smart toys, according to a November watchdog report.
In an article titled, “Trouble in Toyland 2023,” the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund warned of the threat of increasingly popular toys loaded with artificial intelligence.
The report listed a number of playthings and their concerning spy-like technology, and also gave advice as to what to do about them.
Nowadays, even “simpler” toys and games are equipped with data-gathering A.I. They’re often rigged with cameras and microphones for facial and vocal recognition and even GPS tracking.
Many toys, like miniature soccer balls and play doctor’s kits, come with apps and can connect to the internet or Bluetooth.
