Consumer Groups Expresses Concerns Over The Safety Of “Intelligent” Toys

In the run up to Christmas, the demand for “intelligent” toy is high. However, concerns are being raised among consumer groups that these types of toys pose a potential security risk that could be compromising children’s safety. Tests carried out by the consumer groups Which? and Stiftung Warentest, along with other security experts, have identified problems with toys that use wifi, which could allow strangers to communicate with children.

The investigations have found that over half of the toys that were tested could be hacked into, allowing a stranger to talk to the child playing with it. Security flaws were discovered in popular brands including e Furby Connect, i-Que Intelligent Robot, Toy-Fi Teddy and CloudPets.

The research shows that a lot of Bluetooth connected toys are not adequately secured, meaning hackers can gain access to them without a password, pin or any other authentication. It’s also been discovered that very little technical knowledge was needed to hack the toys, which is very concerning for consumers and parents.

It was found that the Furby connect could be connected with any Bluetooth device in a 10-30 metre range. The i-Que Intelligent Robot could also be discovered to anyone within range who had downloaded the app. The Bluetooth enabled “My Friend Cayla doll” was recently banned in Germany over similar security concerns.

CloudPets and Toy-Fi Teddy both enable friends to send a child messages to friends, which are then played on the toy’s built-in speaker. Which? has expressed concerns that toys aren’t safe as they can be hacked via its unsecured Bluetooth connection.

It was also found that both these toys didn’t provide enough security. The Bluetooth connection didn’t have any authentication protection, passwords or pin, making them a target for hackers who can send voice messages to the child and receive messages back.

Alex Neill, the managing director of home products and services at Which? said in a recent statement that “Connected toys are becoming increasingly popular, but as our investigation shows, anyone considering buying one should apply a level of caution. Safety and security should be the absolute priority with any toy. If that can’t be guaranteed, then the products should not be sold.”

Which?  has since written to all retailers stocking these items to express its concerns. The group has urged companies to stop selling the toys affected until the security issues have been addressed and resolved, and the manufacturers can ensure the safety of children is not compromised.