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.

An official German watchdog has told parents to destroy an internet-connected doll because hackers can use it to spy on children. My Friend Cayla was found to be equipped with an insecure Bluetooth device, which cybercriminals could hijack, in order to steal personal data and listen and talk to the child playing with it. Germany's Federal Network Agency, the regulatory office for electricity, gas, telecommunications, post and railway markets, has now warned parents to destroy it. The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session A man looks at an exhibit entitled'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Electrification Guru Dr. Wolfgang Ziebart talks about the electric Jaguar I-PACE concept SUV before it was unveiled before the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S The Jaguar I-PACE Concept car is the start of a new era for Jaguar. Japan's On-Art Corp's CEO Kazuya Kanemaru poses with his company's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot'TRX03' and other robots during a demonstration in Tokyo, Japan Japan's On-Art Corp's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot'TRX03' performs during its unveiling in Tokyo, Japan Singulato Motors co-founder and CEO Shen Haiyin poses in his company's concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China A picture shows Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China Connected company president Shigeki Tomoyama addresses a press briefing as he elaborates on Toyota's "connected strategy" in Tokyo.

Some people consider dolls creepy enough, but what if that deceptively cute toy was listening to everything you said and, worse yet, letting creeps speak through it? According to The Center for Digital Democracy, a pair of smart toys designed to engage with children in new and entertaining ways are rife with security and privacy holes. The watchdog group was so concerned, they filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on Dec. 6 (you can read the full complaint here). A similar one was also filed in Europe by the Norwegian Consumer Council. SEE ALSO: Microsoft's Home Hub aims to turn the PC into an Amazon Echo "This complaint concerns toys that spy," reads the complaint, which claims the Genesis Toys' My Friend Cayla and i-QUE Intelligent Robot can record and collect private conversations and offer no limitations on the collection and use of personal information.

Are YOUR kids internet-connected toys being used to spy on them? Claims hi-tech gadgets'fail to protect privacy' Consumer watchdogs claim internet connected toys collect kids' personal data The complaint cites My Friend Cayla and I-Que Intelligent Robot as'spy toys' It argues that audio of conversations is taken without proper parental consent Along with this, it says they hold potential for strangers to eavesdrop on kids Consumer watchdogs claim internet connected toys collect kids' personal data The complaint cites My Friend Cayla and I-Que Intelligent Robot as'spy toys' They're calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the firms behind My Friend Cayla (pictured) and I-Que Intelligent Robot, citing manufacturer Genesis Toys and Nuance Communications, which provides third-party voice recognition software Do plants learn like humans? You can FINALLY'like' or disable comments on Instagram... Are YOU affected? Massive Dailymotion hack sees more than 85... Do plants learn like humans? You can FINALLY'like' or disable comments on Instagram... Are YOU affected?