The day when our connected devices talk back to their makers or relay information to other third parties has come. Many devices already do this without the consumers knowing consent or through hidden updates. The thought that toys and babycams are going to monitor my child infuriates me! Is that really necessary? For what purpose and why is this a good idea?
The use of voice recognition technology is becoming commonplace for many smart devices, even for smart toys. There are reports that certain dolls that initiate conversations with children (in a Siri-like style) store data for use beyond the immediate response. I am not sure if shutting down online capabilities completely is the best option, but certainly full control and awareness over data usage should be facilitated by smart products.
It is very important to look at security and privacy in products with cameras and microphones that are in contact with children.
Toys and baby monitors should not have online capabilities as this will diminish the little home privacy we have left.
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