Are You Under Surveillance? 'My Friend Cayla' Dolls Are Spying On Children, Should Be Destroyed, German Goverment Warns

A talking doll that could allow hackers to listen and talk to children should be destroyed, an official watchdog in Germany has said. The "My Friend Cayla" doll uses a Bluetooth device to access the internet and answer users' questions as well as ask for their personal information. But researchers have warned since the start of 2015 that the Bluetooth device is insecure, allowing hackers to access it. Now the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), which oversees communications in Germany, has said the doll should be destroyed because it is in effect a "concealed transmitting device," which is illegal in Germany. The country's Telecommunications Act rules that manufacture, distribution and possession of what equates to espionage equipment is prohibited.