The Cayla Doll: Friend or Foe?

Moxie Thompson, Reporter

Spying devices are ever-so-prevalent in our technological world; but now the issue is facing a new target: kids.

According to BBC and NPR, a kids’ toy has been found to possibly be a security and privacy threat to those who own one. The German toy The Cayla Doll, a kids’ doll which holds a tiny microphone that can access the Internet to answer the user’s questions, was first found to contain a software flaw in 2015. The error warning came after an initial concern was raised by University of Saarland student Stefan Hessel. The American-made doll, made by a company named Genesis, has been banned by Germany. The doll is technologically advanced and can relay information quickly.

This Cayla Doll is one of the dolls consumers can buy. Shoppers can also buy dolls with different colored hair and of other ethnicities. (The Cayla Doll / www.myfriendcayla.com)

 

“For example, if a child asks the doll ‘What is a little horse called,’ the doll can reply ‘It’s called a foal,’” said BBC.

However, the doll has been under scrutiny lately after Stefan Hessel, a student at the  University of Saarland, showed concerns regarding the toy.

“Access to the doll is completely unsecured,” Hessel told Saarbrücker Zeitung, a german newspaper. “There is no password to protect the connection,” according to theguardian.com.

Hessel said people could hack the doll from up to 15 meters away. Hackers can listen in on conversations with the doll and even use Bluetooth to speak to the person using it, through the doll, according to theguardian.

The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), said that the My Friend Cayla Doll breaks German privacy laws, according to NPR, because it picks up everything a person says and sends the information back to a company in the U.S.

Nuance Communications, the company which provides the doll’s voice and recognition abilities, says it does not share information from consumers with other marketers, however.

My Friend Cayla outlines its privacy policy on its website, saying that it only shares information from users anonymously with partnering companies.

According to the My Friend Cayla frequently asked questions site, the doll is able to be turned off and on, allowing the user to decide when she can hear you. There is a necklace on Cayla, and when the white light on it is lit up, that means she is listening.

According to My Friend Cayla, it is helpful to use a smartphone device with her, such as an Apple iPhone or Android to access all her available features, such as having her read a prescribed set of books, making her play games, or allowing her to show photos.

The doll has been facing issues in the U.S., concerning privacy and security.

As of now, the doll is still available for sale in the U.S., and it is available online.