Data protection Popular toys record children's data

Certain toys do not adequately protect children's privacy. According to a study by the University of Basel, many so-called smart toys such as the "Toniebox" collect extensive behavioral data from children, as the university announced on Monday.

Smart toys are toys that enable interactive play thanks to software and internet access. "Children's privacy is particularly worth protecting", Julika Feldbusch, lead author of the study, was quoted as saying in the press release.

The "Toniebox" is a music player that is popular with children. When small figurines are placed on the box, it plays audio books. According to the study, the "Toniebox" records exactly when it is activated with which figure, when the child stops and where it rewinds to. The toy sends this data to the manufacturer. No statement was initially available from the company.

The researchers also identified safety risks with other toys. The "Tiptoi" pen, another popular toy, also scored poorly in terms of security. According to the study, it does not encrypt data traffic securely. On the other hand, the pen does not record when a child uses it. The results will be presented at the Annual Privacy Forum at the beginning of September.

According to the researchers, toy manufacturers should place greater emphasis on the privacy and security of their products in line with their young target group than they have done to date. They therefore advocate a data protection label. The researchers recommend that compliance with safety and data protection standards should be indicated with a label on the packaging, similar to nutritional information on food. So far, it has been too difficult for parents to understand the safety risks associated with smart toys for their children.

SDA