The FTC and FBI are shining the spotlight on your kid’s smart toys
The FTC and FBI are shining the spotlight on your kid's smart toys
The FTC has announced that it has updated its COPPA compliance plan for businesses to make inescapably clear that internet-enabled toys and other “internet of things” (IoT) devices that collect personal information from children may be subject to COPPA. In agreement, the FBI issued a public service announcement warning parents that connected toys “could put the privacy and safety of children at risk due to the large amount of personal information that may be unwittingly disclosed.”
As the federal government addresses security issues from the broader realm of smart devices, these announcements suggest that connected toys will engender particular scrutiny given the sensitivity of children’s data. At one level, the FTC’s modified compliance plan broke no new ground. Although COPPA was adopted long before the proliferation of connected toys, it applies not only to websites but also to “online services.”
According to the FBI, the “exposure of such information could create opportunities for child identity fraud. Additionally, the potential misuse of sensitive data such as GPS location information, visual identifiers from pictures or videos, and known interests to garner trust from a child could present exploitation risks.” The FBI explained that data could be exposed if the toy manufacturer, the technology developer, a cloud service provider, or another third-party partner fails to properly protect it.
The FBI urges parents to research connected toys before purchasing them to learn of any known security issues, to closely monitor children’s use of such toys, and to follow good security practices, such as ensuring that the toys are running updated firmware and that they are turned off when not in use. As for legal protections, the FBI noted that smart toys must comply with COPPA and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Read full article and learn more about COPPA here.
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Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It’s not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. Neither the author nor FTC Guardian, Inc. is endorsed by the Federal Trade Commission.
