What makes a toy “connected”
A connected toy is any toy that links to the internet, usually through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth Low Energy and a phone app. Examples include talking dolls and robots, interactive plush animals, learning tablets, drawing devices and toys that react to a child’s voice. Some are simple: they connect only to download a new song. Others have microphones, cameras and online accounts and send information to a company’s servers so the toy can respond or the app can show progress.
The question is not whether these toys are good or bad. It is what a particular toy collects, why, and whether you are comfortable with it, given that children cannot easily weigh these choices themselves.
Why children’s data deserves extra care
Children are often less able to understand how recordings, names and photos might be stored or used later. A toy may capture things said in a bedroom or playroom, including remarks from siblings, friends or adults who did not agree to be recorded. Because a child may use a toy for years, small amounts of data can build up into a detailed record.
Many countries have special rules for children’s data, and device regulation often treats it more strictly than data about adults. The details vary, so it is best not to assume a toy meets any given standard just because it is sold in a store.
Questions to ask before you buy
What does it sense?
- Does the toy have a microphone, a camera, or location features?
- Does it listen all the time, or only after a button press or a wake word?
- Is there a clear indicator, such as a light, when it is recording?
- Is there a physical switch to turn the microphone off?
Where does the data go?
- Does it work without an internet connection, or does every feature need the cloud?
- Are voice clips processed on the toy itself or sent to a remote server? Toys that handle things through local processing generally send less out.
- Are recordings shared with other companies, such as for advertising or to improve services?
What accounts are needed?
- Does the toy or app require a child’s name, birthday, photo or email address?
- Can a parent set up the account and keep control of it?
- Can you use a nickname instead of a real name?
How long is data kept, and can it be deleted?
- Does the company explain how long recordings and profiles are retained?
- Can you delete a child’s data from the app or by contacting the company?
- What happens to the data if the toy is sold or the company stops operating?
The topic of data retention applies here with particular force, because toys are often handed down or discarded.
Questions about security
A toy that stores a child’s information must protect it. Some general things to look for:
- A requirement to set your own password, rather than relying on a shared default.
- A company that provides security fixes and explains how long it will support the toy.
- Pairing that needs a deliberate step, so a stranger nearby cannot connect to the toy.
Weak or unchanged default passwords and missing updates are well-known problems with connected devices in general, and a toy is no exception. If a product has no stated support period, assume it may not be updated for long.
Questions about the conversation itself
Some toys use artificial intelligence to hold open-ended conversations. This raises extra points that are worth thinking about:
- Can the toy give inaccurate or unsuitable answers?
- Does it nudge a child toward purchases or keep them engaged longer than intended?
- Does the company say whether conversations are reviewed by people?
Because the responses can vary, it helps to try the toy yourself first, and to stay nearby when your child begins to use it.
Practical steps once the toy is at home
- Read the setup screens rather than tapping through. Choose the least data-collecting options available.
- Provide the minimum personal information. Use a nickname and skip optional fields.
- Turn off the microphone or camera when a feature is not in use.
- Put the toy on a guest network if your router supports one. A separate network, an idea covered under network segmentation, limits what other devices it can reach.
- Check app permissions on your phone and remove any that seem unrelated to play.
- Keep the toy and its app updated.
- Talk with your child, at an age-appropriate level, about the fact that the toy may hear what they say.
- Before passing on or discarding a toy, remove the account, reset the device, and delete stored data.
When to reconsider a toy
It may be worth choosing a different product if the company gives no clear privacy information, if the toy needs far more personal details than its function requires, if recordings cannot be deleted, or if there are no updates. A simpler, offline toy is always an option, and for many families it serves just as well.
A balanced view
Connected toys can support learning and creativity, and many families find them useful. Nothing here means they are unsafe by default. The aim is to replace guesswork with a short set of questions, so that the choice, and the settings that follow, are yours rather than the default.