My Friend Cayla – spying doll

2014

Cayla was an internet-connected doll that used speech recognition to communicate with children. She could tell stories, carry on basic conversation, and even look up information. The doll was named the most innovative toy of the year, and was a commercial success. But Cayla failed miserably when it came to safeguarding basic consumer rights, security, and privacy. The doll was an easy target for hackers, who could remotely control the doll. Everything the child said was sent to US- based data centers and then sold to marketing companies. Germany banned the doll because the toy could be used to illegally spy on children. As if the spying wasn’t enough, Cayla also endorsed commercial products. She happily talked about how much she loved different Disney movies. Which wasn’t a coincidence, since Disney paid for this advertising. 

Additional info:

German watchdog tells parents to destroy ‘My Friend Cayla’ doll over hacking fears: