German watchdog: Parents, destroy these creepy smart dolls right now
You know how the saying goes: Keep your friends close unless those friends are Wi-Fi connected dolls, in which case you might want to destroy them.
A German government watchdog is urging parents to be on high alert for an unconventional personal security threat that may be lurking in their own homes -- a children's doll called "My Friend Cayla."
According to a BCC News report, the German Federal Network Agency said the doll -- which has already received complaints in Europe and the U.S. -- is in violation of German telecom law, which sounds pretty sketchy for a toy.
The doll's hidden microphone and smart technology classify it as a "concealed transmitting device," which is prohibited for sale or possession in the country. "It doesn't matter what that object is — it could be an ashtray or fire alarm," a spokesperson told Sueddeutsche Zeitung, a German news publication.
The warning also advised parents to "destroy" the dolls because they apparently have the potential to be hacked and reveal a trove of personal information.
Basically a frenemy
The Center for Digital Democracy claims that the smart toys also "record and collect the private conversations of young children without any limitations on collection, use, or disclosure of this personal information."
The insecure Bluetooth connection used to facilitate Cayla answering a child's questions leaves an opening for the device to be hacked. Back in December, a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission was filed on both My Friend Cayla and another Genesis Toys device, the i-QUE Intelligent Robot.
The FTC has yet to take action regarding the dolls, but if you're looking for ways to "destroy" the smart device, the toy's website might just have your answer...
Topics Cybersecurity Privacy Gadgets
Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
