Germany bans internet-connected ‘spying’ doll Cayla
This file photo taken on November 05, 2014 shows the talking doll “My Friend Cayla” displayed at the DreamToys toy fair in central London, on November 5, 2014. German regulators have banned an internet-connected doll called “My Friend Cayla” that can chat with children, warning on February 17, 2017 that it was a de facto “spying device”.<br />LEON NEAL / AFP
German regulators have banned an internet-connected doll called “My Friend Cayla” that can chat with children, warning Friday that it was a de facto “spying device”.
Parents were urged to disable the interactive toy by the Federal Network Agency which enforces bans on surveillance devices.
“Items that conceal cameras or microphones and that are capable of transmitting a signal, and therefore can transmit data without detection, compromise people’s privacy,” said the agency’s head, Jochen Homann.
“This applies in particular to children’s toys. The Cayla doll has been banned in Germany. This is also to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”
The doll works by sending a child’s audio question wirelessly to an app on a digital device, which translates it into text and searches the internet for an answer, then sends back a response that is voiced by the doll.
The German regulators in a statement warned that anything a child says, or other people’s conversations, could be recorded and transmitted without parents’ knowledge.
“A company could also use the toy to advertise directly to the child or the parents,” it said.
“Moreover, if the manufacturer has not adequately protected the wireless connection, the toy can be used by anyone in the vicinity to listen in on conversations undetected.”
Genesis Toys, which manufactures the doll, says on its website that it “is committed to protecting your and your family’s personal information.
“Our objective is to ensure that our products and services are safe and enjoyable for our customers”.
It also says Cayla “is programmed to not utter, display or say words or images that would be inappropriate for children to see or hear”.
The company regularly reviews “encryption and physical security measures” to guard against unauthorised access to customers’ personal information.
But it warns on its website that “unfortunately no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100 percent secure”.
The regulation agency added that it would “inspect other interactive toys and, if necessary, will take further action”.
The European Consumer Organisation said it welcomed the decision but criticised the fact consumers would struggle to get compensation.
Its head Monique Goyens said that “if connected toys, such as this speaking doll, can be hacked to spy on or talk to children, they must be banned.”
She added that “EU product laws need to catch up with digital developments to deal with threats such as hacking, data fraud or spying”.
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
5 Comments
#Do NEVER believe in the german men rhetorics.
They are deadlier than a serpent.
When a german man enters your house at the same time as a poisonous serpent,please allow the serpent to feel free and do away with the german man first because,the serpent can be seen doing evil but,the german man operate as a PESTILENCE THAT WALKETH IN DARKNESS AND IS AN ARROW THAT FLIETH AT NOONDAY.
Germans men(Not their women) the deadly and evil hypocrites.
After they have spied and secretly recorded many children naked and have piles of soft ponography in their secret webs already,they are now pretending to ban what they themselves encouraged,profited from and are still profiting from till date and forever.
Bundles of hypocrites and backstabbers paedophiles,homosexuals and perverse satans.
Let the whole wide world google this name:SEBASTIAN EDATHY the german paedophile politicians who has vanished from the scene without no real prison sentence
My dearest beloveth blessed lovely Nigerians.
Do NEVER believe in the german men rhetorics.
They are deadlier than a serpent.
When a german man enters your house at the same time as a poisonous serpent,please allow the serpent to feel free and do away with the german man first because,the serpent can be seen doing evil but,the german man operate as a PESTILENCE THAT WALKETH IN DARKNESS AND IS AN ARROW THAT FLIETH AT NOONDAY.
Germans men(Not their women) the deadly and evil hypocrites.
After they have spied and secretly recorded many children naked and have piles of soft ponography in their secret webs already,they are now pretending to ban what they themselves encouraged,profited from and are still profiting from till date and forever.
Bundles of hypocrites and backstabbers paedophiles,homosexuals and perverse satans.
Let the whole wide world google this name:SEBASTIAN EDATHY the german paedophile politicians who has vanished from the scene without no real prison sentence
Germans men(Not their women) the deadly and evil hypocrites.
After they have spied and secretly recorded many children naked and have piles of soft ponography in their secret webs already,they are now pretending to ban what they themselves encouraged,profited from and are still profiting from till date and forever.
Bundles of hypocrites and backstabbers paedophiles,homosexuals and perverse satans.
Let the whole wide world google this name:SEBASTIAN EDATHY the german paedophile politicians who has vanished from the scene without no real prison sentence
Do NEVER believe in the german men rhetorics.
They are deadlier than a serpent.
When a german man enters your house at the same time as a poisonous serpent,please allow the serpent to feel free and do away with the german man first because,the serpent can be seen doing evil but,the german man operate as a PESTILENCE THAT WALKETH IN DARKNESS AND IS AN ARROW THAT FLIETH AT NOONDAY.
Germans men(Not their women) the deadly and evil hypocrites.
After they have spied and secretly recorded many children naked and have piles of soft ponography in their secret webs already,they are now pretending to ban what they themselves encouraged,profited from and are still profiting from till date and forever.
Bundles of hypocrites and backstabbers paedophiles,homosexuals and perverse satans.
Let the whole wide world google this name:SEBASTIAN EDATHY the german paedophile politicians who has vanished from the scene without no real prison sentence
Germen men ARE NO GOOD FOREVER
We will review and take appropriate action.