The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued an advisory saying that consumers should consider the cyber security risks before "introducing smart, interactive, Internet-connected toys into their homes." It goes on to say that: Smart toys and entertainment devices for children are increasingly incorporating technologies that learn and tailor their behaviors based on user interactions. These toys typically contain sensors, microphones, cameras, data storage components, and other multimedia capabilities – including speech recognition and GPS options. These features could put the privacy and safety of children at risk due to the large amount of personal information that may be unwittingly disclosed. According to the FBI, the kinds of personal data these Internet-connected toys could capture include "the child’s name, school, likes and dislikes, and activities disclosed through normal conversation," and could be recorded by the microphone embedded in the toy, if it is in close proximity. It also says that "companies collect large amounts of additional data, such as voice messages, conversation recordings, past and real-time physical locations, Internet use history, and Internet addresses/IPs," which could potentially provide "opportunities for child identity fraud." FBI warns parents to ensure that they: Consumers should examine toy company user agreement disclosures and privacy practices, and should know where their family’s personal data is sent and stored, including if it’s sent to third-party services. Toy manufacturers are known to collect and store "interactions or conversations between children and toys", while third-party companies such as the developer of a voice recognition software also collect data.…
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