Safety Concerns Rise With Bluetooth Toys Gaining Popularity

The problem with Bluetooth toys that could endanger your family's privacy.

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Columbia, SC (WOLO)–  Every year watchdog groups warn parents of dangerous toys on store shelves and this year they are listing a new threat to children’s safety. Data collecting and privacy concerns are why toys like “My Friend Cayla” dolls on more dangerous than a parent might think.

“The doll has a Bluetooth connection to it, which is an unsecured connection. So a lot like with baby monitors, people can hack into that Bluetooth connection and hear any conversation,” Dr. Jeff Holloway said, a pediatrician with Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. 

The FBI made a statement in July warning parents about this issue and the doll itself has been banned in Germany for that reason. The FBI says many “bluetooth connected” toys contain cameras, microphones, sensors, and even GPS, that can gather too-much information about your children.

“Sounds neat that it could be Bluetooth connected and you can easily connect to it, and that’s what it talks about. But something that’s easy is sometimes available for hacking,” Holloway said. 

Other things to consider when buying toys is to make sure they are age-appropriate,  not too loud, and keep small objects out of the hands of little ones.

“Anything that’s small enough to fit through a toilet paper roll is too small for a child that is less than the age of three. This is important for parents that have multiple children in their home of various age groups,” Dr. Duncan Norton said, another pediatrician with Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital.  That can include toys like dice, plastic toy foods, little magnetic balls, or even balloons; which is the most common item for children to choke on, according to the medical professionals. Choking isn’t the only reason for concern. Lead paint on toys from China and Mexico are still raising red flags.

“The biggest one being, this fidget spinner here. It had over 300 times the legal limit of lead in it. And it can be found at any big box stores,” Norton said. 

View the full Trouble in Toyland report here.   

Parents can find U.S. PIRG’s list of unsafe toys, as well as tips for safe toy shopping this holiday season, by clicking here.