Can you believe that a doll can breach your privacy? But it’s true that a spy doll connected to the Internet can prove to be a threat to the society. The doll, which is well known among the children in Germany, is “My Friend Cayla” that can chat with the children. This doll has been banned by the German Regulatory bodies as it seems to be a hidden spying device.
As per the norms of the Federal Network Agency, which implements a ban on surveillance devices, the parents had to disable the spy doll.
The doll basically transmits the child’s audio along with the surrounding audios to an app on a digital device, which is translated into a text and further uses Internet for the answer in order to respond back in the doll’s voice. This transfer of audio signals using the microphones or concealed cameras can infringe people’s privacy. Thus, the decision of ban on the doll has been taken to protect the vulnerability of the society.
Due to inadequate wireless connection protection provided by the manufacturers, anyone can listen to the recorded audios. This has led to the ban on the spy doll in Germany.
According to Monique Goyens, the European Consumer Organisation laws need to catch with the digital and technological advancements in order to deal with the threats regarding hacking, frauds, and spying. The decision of ban is welcomed happily but the major concern is regarding the compensation on the other hand.
Even though this decision is going to break the heart of million kids in Germany, it’s going to secure the society in return.
