Consumer alert focuses on privacy precautions with tech toys

NEWYORK » As part of its sevenpart consumer alert holiday series, the New York State Division of Consumer Protection ( DCP) alerted parents and families that Bluetooth and technology- enabled toys may be fun for families to interactwith this holiday season, but these toys are also easy for hackers to access andmanipulate for nefarious means.

When children’s products, such as smartwatches, smart toys and gaming devices, are tested for vulnerabilities, results showexposures with microphone and camera access in sleepmode, Bluetooth connections without authentication, access to locationinformationand conversation eavesdropping.

As children interact with technology- enabled and connected toys, usage and personal information ( like location) is continuously uploadedtocompanyservers. Once a toy is vulnerable to a hack, that information can be easily accessed and collected. Additionally, when toys allow children to search and access the web, the toy can effortlessly misdirect children away from age appropriate sites.

“Toymakers are in the business of making toys, not technology,” Secretary of Staterossanarosado, who oversees the New York State Division of Consumer Protection, commented.

“Making toys fun and easy to use oftenmeans technology and security take a back seat. New York families need to take extra precautions, especially when children are 35 timesmore likely to fall victimto identity theft,” Rosado explained.

Steps to make technology- enabled toys safer:

• Research complaints. Parent blogs, social media, and security companywebsites often sound the alarmwell before news stories hit. Check forknownsecurity issuesbefore considering a purchase.

• Turn it off. When a child is done playing with a toy or leaves it, make sure the toy is first disconnected from the internet and thenturnedoff. When toys remain connected to the internet in sleep mode, your personal privacy and information can still be accessed.

• When children are playing with technology- enabled toys, watch their interactions closely to understand how the toyswork and quickly identifywhen something is not right with a toy.

• Secure Wifi. Never use technology- enabled toys on public Wifi. Hackers gaineasy access to the toy andcanuse it tocaptureotherprotected information in the home.

• Strengthen passwords. Make sure your passwords are unique and updated regularly. Try using a passphrase instead of a password and include special characters and numbers. If it’s difficult to remember somany passwords, try a password manager with multi- step authentication to manage your passwords.

• Use parental controls. Many toy companies claim they want to protect your child’s information. See which companies offer the option to delete your child’s information and select that option. Also, understand what settings are defaulted when you use the toy and what additional settings you can adjust to further protect your child.

• Read the policies. Companies are beginning to specify what information they store and share. Read the long policy documents to see what information is stored and what is used only for sign- up and then deleted. If this information is not clear, consider choosing another product.

• Follow your data. Interactive toysmay store data locally or in the cloud. Toys that do not connect regularly to the internet are less connectedand less likely tobehacked. Eitherway, checkwhether toys can havedatadeletedor better still, reset to factory settings, before passing it on to another household.

• Enter an alias. If setup requires additional information, provideadifferent nameornickname,

birthdate and other important information. If the toy is hacked, this decreases the chance of child identity theft.

• Technology is here to stay. Toys can provide an opportunity to talk with kids about staying safe online. For ideas, check out common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/privacy- and- internet- safety.

• Stay offline. Old- fashioned games, books and puzzles are making a comeback. Consider a family game night – without gaming consoles!

If you believe your child’s toy was hacked, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

For more information on Child Identity Theft, visit the Division of consumer Protection website.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a business when a consumer has been unsuccessful at reaching a resolution on their own. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1- 800697- 1220 is available Monday to Friday from8: 30 a. m. to 4: 30 p. m., excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time atwww. dos.ny.gov/ consumerprotection.

To view consumer alerts, consumers can visit https:// www. dos. ny. gov/ about/ newsroom. html. The division can also be reached via Twitter at @Nysconsumer or Facebook atwww. facebook. com/nysconsumer.