Should Parents Shun Toys That Track Their Kids?

An anonymous reader quotes CBS News:
Parents are realizing that it's not just Santa who's keeping tabs on their kids. Many popular high-tech gadgets that may end up being given as holiday presents can actually track, monitor and record children. Because of that, there are some gifts Felicity and Alden Eute won't have under their Christmas tree. Their mother, Emily, has banned all tech gifts this season. 'My husband and I both agree kids don't really need to be on technology or on social media,' Emily said. 'None of these extra gadgets that just expose you to things kids shouldn't be exposed to at their age.'
While federal law requires a parent's permission to track and collect data on children under 13, a Federal Trade Commission complaint filed this week alleges widespread violations through apps that 'send persistent identifiers to third parties without giving direct notice to parents.' That means things like location data, phone numbers and contact information could be exposed, according to Serge Engleman of the International Computer Science Institute. The institute's surveillance system, under the direction of Engleman, collected evidence that is now before the Federal Trade Commission.... It's not only apps where there are potential violations. 'Any kind of interconnected robot-type toys...interactive games that you may play online are collecting data,' said Scott Pink, a privacy and cybersecurity specialist.

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