German Officials Tell Parents To Destroy Doll That Records Conversations
German Officials Tell Parents To Destroy Doll That Records Conversations
Ashlee Kieler
Consumerist
Late last year, research indicated that certain toys may be collecting audio recording and personal information from children and sending that data to a company that used the information to improve the voice-recognition tools it sells to the military and law enforcement agencies. While consumer advocates quickly filed complaints with federal regulators in the U.S., across the pond, authorities in Germany are now directing parents to get rid of the “My Friend Cayla” doll.
BBC News reports that the Federal Network Agency, which oversees telecommunications in Germany, has issued a warning to parents about the doll, telling them to destroy the toy.
The My Friend Cayla doll records and collects conversations between the toys and the kids, and then uses speech-to-text protocols to turn the questions into searchable queries.