Privacy Groups Take Aim at Internet Toys

In what they are calling an unprecedented, coordinated transatlantic effort, US and European privacy groups have filed complaints with European Union regulators and the Federal Trade Commission over "smart" Internet-connected toys, or what they dub "spy toys." US Groups filing the complaint at the FTC are Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC), the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), Consumers Union, and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). The FTC complaint was lodged against Genesis Toys, the maker of My Friend Cayla and I-Que, and Nuance Communications, which provides voice recognition. Both Cayla and I-Que need to be linked to a Bluetooth-capable Apple or Android smart device to take advantage of their range of functions, the company says on its website. The groups say the toys propose significant security risks to kids and violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) protections and FTC rules prohibiting unfair and deceptive practices. They want the FTC to investigate and then act to protect kids.