Lawmakers in Germany allege that smartwatches on the market today more closely resemble a spying device rather than a simple toy and they are urging parents to destroy the watches.
According to a recent report that was published by the Norwegian Consumer Council, there are some serious security flaws with the watches that could allow them to be hacked so that someone else can seize control. Along with that control would come a host of data about the wearer/owner of the device that is both historical and real-time.
These watches have been marketed to children who are between the ages of 5 to 12 years old and they offer a variety of functions for the wearer such as being able to check voicemail, make or receive calls, and more. They can also record a great deal of information about your daily habits, such as their school, their activities, name, and other data.
While parents might see the watches as a convenient way to try and keep track of their kids, it might actually be making them even more vulnerable; critics suggest that it could be easy for an attacker to also use that device to find and contact the children.
German lawmakers aren't the only ones that have raised the red flag over these smartwatches either, apparently the FBI has also suggested that they could endanger the privacy and safety of children.
Even worse, they claim that these toys are able to record and collect sensitive conversations that take place within earshot of the device and those with the device might not even know that such an action is taking place; that they are being spied on in this manner.
And this isn't the first time that lawmakers in Germany have raised concerns of children's toys on the market that they think might be improperly used for spying. Not that long ago they also instructed parents to destroy a doll that a telecoms regulatory body in the country deemed to be an illegal espionage apparatus.
Pics:
via techcrunch
via CoolWearables
pixabay
Sources:
https://gizmodo.com/german-regulators-ban-smartwatches-for-kids-urge-paren-1820551593
http://mashable.com/2017/11/17/german-regulator-tells-people-to-destroy-childrens-smartwatches/#VrzvIOAHeOq3
https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/19/consumer-report-warns-over-safety-of-kids-smartwatches/
https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/17/germany-bans-smartwatches-for-kids-over-spying-concerns/
https://www.politico.eu/article/german-parents-told-to-destroy-childs-doll-over-spying-fears/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/17/german-parents-told-to-destroy-my-friend-cayla-doll-spy-on-children
Just about anything can be used for spying. All that matters is what their software are programmed to do. Generally speaking, the more popular, versatile and multi-functional a device is (like a Windows PC), the more interesting it becomes to hackers. It's only a question of whether it's beneficial/practical for them to 'work' on a particular system.
I think almost all gadgets like smartphones, smart TVs and tablets can be used for spying. It all depends on the security features of their operating systems. Baby monitor apps are designed to do just that - remotely record or monitor audio. If the baby monitor app on your mobile can access location Info. on your phone, and somebody hacks into the network, it would be a serious privacy concern.
Great article. Funny and disturbing all at the same time.
@doitvoluntarily, very important issue raised through your article, such devices like smart watches and dolls using for kids of ages 5 to 12 years are realy destroyed their personality, the parents think that they can used then for track their childerens. german govt. fo a great and banned these toys which cause of many issues. appreciateable article and well written.
This is really true. Thanx for the information and i agree with this post. Those watches could be dangerous for children.
Ohh man thats serious. my younger brother brother have bought one recently
Parents buying there children smartwatches is more of an issue than anything privacy issue. How about a Casio?
its easier said than done. i mean it can't all be bad.
Sadly, many parents have been seduced into becoming data cattle for Fakebook and Gargle, and raise their kids to be milked the same way.
This danger is not confined to specific devices, but practically all apps on the internet.
It's past time for such business models that essentially profit from spying on us to be swept into the dustbin of history, along with company stores, and Pinkerton strike busters.
Excelente herramienta para monitorear a nuestros hijos. Gracias por compartir. UPVOTE
While I don't think children should have unsupervised access to the internet,for both their mental and physical well being, I look at this issue a bit differently. Governments use our phones and computers to listen to us and our environment daily. I understand the first ones to have a problem with these watches were the teachers who didn't appreciate being supervised by parents. We must see through the lie. Government are not trying to protect us. They are trying to protect themselves.
Smart is only a marketing slogan to entice the buyer to allow big brother to ease drop and record your personal life. You are smart to not buy into this ploy. our children and humanity deserve better. There is a all out war on in this world against your privacy. No one is going to tell you about it. It does not make the headline news but it is alive and well and gaining traction each day. We need to stand up against this enemy. It is healthy to do so. Or else our freedoms will erode away. i am so glad to see some folks doing just that. Thanks for bringing this into the light and sharing this article with us.
I think destroying it was a good idea. Invasion of privacy can be live threatening!
I think destroying it was a good idea. Invasion of privacy can be life threatening!
Reminds me of Maxwell Smart and his shoe telephone. Don't know why it came to mind. They just seem kind of silly.
I'd never considered this...but then again, I shut off all GPS tracking on phone, computer, etc., other than when I actually need it.