Skip to main content

Are children safe with smart toys?

Smart Toys 728x200

The time when kids would be happy with a colouring book for Christmas has long since passed, and this year 'Wi-Fi' and 'interactive' seem to be the buzzwords. But should we be worried about these products, and how well protected are they? Here are a few things to think about when you're looking to purchase a Wi-Fi or internet connected toy.

What security precautions are in place?

The truth is that Smart Toys are often worryingly insecure, because those making these products are toy manufacturers, not security experts. Unfortunately, this makes them easy targets for hackers.

A casual hacker will be interested in the challenge and the amusement of accessing these products - not profit or data. But their findings can then be shared online with countless others, who could then connect to the toy remotely.

Run the product through a search engine before you buy. Add the word, 'hack' or, 'security' to the end of the toy's name, and see what the results are. If the product has been out for a while and nothing worrying comes back, that's a good sign - although its not a definite guarantee of its safety. If results come back like the ones for Hello Barbie and My Friend Cayla , maybe give it a miss.

What about privacy?

With dolls and toys you can talk to or interact with in any way, that information is being transmitted back to the manufacturers. How do they handle the data, and what do they do with it? Does it remain completely private? And if audio recordings or data are retained by these companies, what are they used for?

You should always read the privacy policy and the user agreement thoroughly for whichever product you're interested in buying. This is usually available somewhere on the website. Make sure you know what they are entitled to do with your information - and more importantly your child's.

What are the 'talking' toys saying?

With Wi-Fi connected toys, or even talking toys in general, they usually boast hundreds, thousands, or even millions of registered responses to your child's questions. It's worth thinking about whether your child is going to accept everything the toy says as gospel, and the kinds of things the manufacturers might want them to talk about.

For example, My Friend Cayla has an eerily positive response to being asked about Toys R Us, 'I've been to Toys R Us. Hasn't everyone? (giggle) I love it there because I get to look at all the new toys. I wish I could work there some day and play with all the cool toys all day long. That sounds like a fun job.'

Unfortunately, there's no real way around this problem - unless you hang out with the toy for a week or so and trial different questions. Again, another google search for the product name followed by 'responses' could help.

So what's the verdict?

Anything which sends data over the internet is open to all sorts of vulnerabilities, and there's no real way to know if something is 'hack-able' until it appears in the news. Usually the companies that make these toys are quick to act after a security flaw is found, but by then the damage could have already been done.

If it's a tablet or a mobile that's on the wishlist, opt for an up to date model from a brand which you're familiar with - then just set up parental control features yourself. This is likely to be a better investment, and certainly a safer one than leaving the responsibility with the manufacturer.

If it's a talking doll or teddy that your little one is desperate for, make sure you do your research and decide for yourself. But the silent ones are guaranteed to be safer and often much more cuddly.


The Transcendit Way

Transcendit understand that when you choose to work with us, whether we're taking care of your IT, app or web development, you're trusting us with part of your business. So whether we're looking after your computers, phone systems or servers we always do things 'the Transcendit way'.

The whole of our team adhere to the same values, beliefs and policies - the principles that were written when Transcendit first formed in 2000. Whether you come to us for cloud services or recovery backup you can be confident that you'll always receive the same excellent service.

The Transcendit way outlines how we do business; following the same straightforward principles with every client and customer, regardless of how big or small they may be.

That means we get to know you and your business. We offer you a friendly, professional and efficient service, and we'll always be honest with you.
We understand that not everybody speaks fluent IT, so we try to explain things in a way that is simple and clear. We always spend as much time as is necessary explaining things to you.
If you need to talk to us about something, no matter how insignificant, we are only ever a phone call away – and we’re never too busy to make you a cup of tea and have a sit down with you in person.
We understand how frustrating it can be when things are late. When we schedule an appointment with you, we are there when you’re expecting us. If something prevents us from getting there, we always call you in advance to let you know.
Sometimes things can go wrong, but we never lie to you or try to cover something up. If things go askew we tell you what’s happened and how we plan to prevent it affecting your business.
We want you to continuously benefit from working with us. We regularly discuss your business and make suggestions for improving systems and processes wherever we can – but we never try to push you into a purchase.
When we quote a fixed price, that's always the amount we charge – you won’t find any nasty surprises on a bill from us. If you are paying by time and materials, we inform you if our approximations could change.
We understand the importance of privacy for your business and your customers. We respect the confidentiality of your data, and we will never pass on your information to third parties.
We appreciate it when you take the time to give us feedback. A system called CustomerSure records our client's responses, so you can trust that our reviews are from real people.
Find out what they're saying here.
We have worked with Transcendit for many years (it must be over 10 years) and their services are second to none. I work very closely with Christophe at Transcendit for our website’s communications to stakeholders and there’s nothing he can’t do! Christophe is very professional, prompt with emails and always checks with myself if everything is how it should be. The staff at Transcendit are highly skilled and extremely knowledgeable when it comes to IT. We look forward to continuing to work with Transcendit for the next however many years Laura Driver, NRCPD

Based on 12075 reviews our customers rate us 9.8/10. Reviews and ratings by Customersure. 09-October-2024

Transcendit are proud sponsors of CHUF, the Children's Heart Unit Fund.

Transcendit is a Living Wage employer
Transcendit is a Microsoft Gold certified partner
VMWARE partner
Vipre partner
IPCortex partner
WithSecure partner
DELL partner
Barracuda partner
Veeam partner
N-Able partner