This guide isn’t a “what not to buy” list. It acknowledges that no internet-connected toy can be entirely child proof because tech companies have yet to prioritize children’s safety in their designs.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Virtual reality headsets, online gaming platform memberships and mini robots are cropping up on many must-have gift lists for kids this holiday season.
The smart toy sector is worth close to $17 billion and is estimated to grow by 20% in the next four years, according to a a recent Business Research Company report.
In 2018, for example, the Federal Trade Commission fined VTech, the maker of the smartphone-like Kidibuzz, because the company allegedly collected the personal information of hundreds of thousands of children without their parents’ consent.
Meta’s popular Quest virtual reality headsets have come under fire both from ParentsTogether and the consumer protection non-profit US PIRG Education Fund.
US PIRG published a report warning consumers specifically about the technology’s potential for exposing children to harmful content.
“The technology is still in its early days, so the industry is still learning and evolving, identifying best practices and establishing standards for how we address topics like privacy, safety and integrity,” the statement said.
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