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Entity wonders: Are these dolls spying on your children?My Friend Cayla doll

You’ve heard of a nanny cam, which is typically used to keep your kids safe … but what if one of their toys was recording them without your consent? That’s what a coalition of international consumer watchdog groups are alleging about dolls My Friend Cayla and i-Que Intelligent Robot, per a complaint filed to the Federal Trade Commission earlier this month.

The toys – created by Genesis Toys – use speech-recognition software to interact with children. For example, a commercial shows doll Cayla suggesting a little girl try putting her hair into a ponytail after she asks for advice on a new hairstyle.

The complaint, filed by groups such as The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood and Consumers Union, suggests that the novelty of the toy is not worth what it costs. It alleges that the toys are recording personal information of the children, which is then sent to Nuance Communications where it is saved for unknown purposes. The voice recognition company also reportedly has contracts with military and law enforcement agencies, as reported by the Huffington Post.

Entity wonders: Are these dolls spying on your children?

i-Que Intelligent Robot

Both dolls have an app that asks for permission to access to the device’s hardware, storage, microphone, Wi-Fi connection and Bluetooth, though they do not explain why. The complaint also finds issue with the fact that the toys’ boxes do not warn that information will be recorded or shared.

Watch groups are worried in particular over a section of the app that asks for “Child’s information,” such as his or her name, parents’ names, where they live and attend school and favorite TV shows, foods and princesses. Parents are concerned because children develop relationships with their dolls and could be inclined to reveal potentially sensitive information.

READ MORE: What Hackers Do and How to Protect Yourself

The complaint also alleges that Genesis and Nuance are in violation of a federal law that limits data that can be collected from anyone under the age of 13. Technology Policy Counsel for Consumers Union Katie McInnis told the Wall Street Journal, “When a toy collects personal information about a child, families have a right to know, and they need to have meaningful choices to decide how their kids’ data is used.”

Nuance responded to complaints with a blog post maintaining that they “take data privacy seriously.” They also denied having received any inquiry from the FTC. According to the Huffington Post, Genesis declined to comment.

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