Connected Toys and Kids' Privacy: A 2026 Parent's Guide

Connected toys — smart teddy bears, talking dolls, Wi-Fi robots, app-linked action figures — routinely record children's voices, log playtime, and stream data to third-party servers with weak security. Regulators from the FTC to Germany's Bundesnetzagentur have already fined and even banned specific models. Before you buy, check the microphone and camera, read the privacy policy, review the app permissions, and lock down the account with a strong password and 2FA.

What Counts as a Connected Toy?

A connected toy is any child's product that talks to the internet — either directly over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or through a companion smartphone app. That includes obvious examples like smart speakers marketed for kids, chatty AI plush toys, coding robots, and app-controlled drones. It also includes less-obvious ones: educational tablets, kids' smartwatches with GPS, video baby monitors, and even some LEGO sets whose apps ask for camera access.

The rule of thumb: if the toy needs an app, a Wi-Fi network, or a Bluetooth pairing to work fully, it is a connected toy and it is collecting data.

What Data Do Connected Toys Actually Collect?

The category is broader than most parents expect. Depending on the model, connected toys have been documented collecting:

• Voice recordings — many chatty toys stream what a child says to a cloud voice service for speech recognition, and store the recordings on company servers.
• Video and images — some toys and companion apps use the phone camera to scan the child's face, room, or drawings.
• Location data — GPS watches, tracking tags, and app-linked toys frequently log a child's whereabouts.
• Chat and behavior logs — AI toys retain conversation history so responses feel personalized; some also record playtime patterns.
• Account data — parent email, phone number, billing info, and often the child's first name and birthdate.
• Device telemetry — Wi-Fi network name, IP address, device identifiers, and app crash reports.

Most of that data leaves the home. Once it is on a vendor's server, it is subject to breaches, subpoenas, resale to third parties, and — if the vendor shuts down — potential auction to whoever buys the company's assets.

The Legal Baseline: COPPA and Its Limits

In the United States, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is the primary law protecting kids under 13. COPPA requires connected toys and children's apps to:

• Post a clear privacy policy describing what data is collected and how it is used.
• Get verifiable parental consent before collecting personal data from a child.
• Give parents the right to review, delete, and stop collection of their child's data.
• Retain data only as long as reasonably necessary and secure it appropriately.

In 2025 the FTC finalized major updates to the COPPA Rule that took effect in 2026, tightening the definition of "personal information," requiring separate opt-in consent for advertising and third-party disclosures, and putting new data-retention limits on toy makers. That is good news — but enforcement is reactive, penalties trail well behind violations, and many smaller toy brands (particularly imports on Amazon and TikTok Shop) simply ignore the rules until someone complains.

The EU's GDPR, the UK's Age Appropriate Design Code, and state laws like the California Age-Appropriate Design Code add additional layers, but the enforcement pattern is similar: parents cannot rely on regulators to catch problems before their child's data leaks.

A Pre-Purchase Checklist for Connected Toys

Before you buy or unbox any smart toy, spend five minutes running through this checklist. It filters out the worst offenders.

1. Search the model name plus "privacy" or "data breach." Established products with a history of leaks will show up in news coverage from Mozilla's Privacy Not Included project, Consumer Reports, or the FTC.
2. Look at the privacy policy before you buy, not after. If it is missing, generic, or hosted only in the app store listing, that is a red flag. Look for specifics: what data is collected, where it is stored, who it is shared with, and how you delete it.
3. Check the app's permissions. A coloring app should not need contacts, location, or microphone. If the companion app demands permissions that make no sense for the toy's function, walk away.
4. Identify the microphone and camera. If they exist, verify whether they can be physically muted. A toy with a permanently on mic and no obvious off switch is a poor choice.
5. Check for a data deletion pathway. Reputable toys expose an "Erase my child's data" option in the parent account. If deletion requires an email to support, expect months of delay.
6. Confirm the vendor is still active. A toy from a company that has been acquired, pivoted, or gone silent is at risk of being unsupported or having its data auctioned.

How to Lock Down a Connected Toy You Already Own

If the toy is already in the house, you can meaningfully reduce its data footprint in about 20 minutes.

• Create the parent account with a unique email. Use a mail alias (Hide My Email, SimpleLogin, addy.io) rather than your primary address so you can revoke it later.
• Use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication. Toy accounts have been breached repeatedly; treat them like banking accounts, not throwaway sign-ups.
• Give the child a nickname, not their legal name. Skip real birthdate, school, and address fields whenever they are optional.
• Turn off ad and analytics sharing in the app settings — most kids' apps hide this switch under "Privacy" or "About."
• Delete stored voice recordings, chat history, and photos on a schedule. A monthly sweep keeps exposure low if the vendor is later breached.
• Put the toy on a guest Wi-Fi network — separated from your main network — so a compromised toy can't reach your laptops, phones, or smart-home hubs.
• Update firmware promptly. Security patches for connected toys are rare; when they ship, install them the same day.
• Cover cameras when not in use and physically mute microphones if the toy provides a switch.

What to Do When a Connected Toy Has a Breach

Sooner or later, a toy brand you rely on will have a security incident. The response should be immediate:

1. Change the parent account password and enable two-factor authentication if it was not already on.
2. Delete stored recordings, photos, and chat logs from the parent dashboard.
3. If your child's email or phone number was leaked, monitor for phishing directed at the household.
4. Consider retiring the toy. If the vendor is slow to respond, unplug the device from Wi-Fi and either give it a manual-only life or replace it with a non-connected alternative.
5. File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov if you believe the toy violated COPPA.

Protect the Household, Not Just the Toy Box

Locking down a single connected toy still leaves the parent exposed. Every account you create for your child pairs it to your email, phone number, and often your home address — and that parent contact information typically ends up on the same data broker sites that fuel spam calls, scam mail, and identity theft against the whole family. PrivacyOn scans 100+ people-search sites and data brokers for your household's personal information, submits removal requests, and continuously monitors for re-listings. Family plans cover up to 5 people from $8.33/month, so both parents and older kids are protected under one subscription. Pair a hardened smart-toy setup with PrivacyOn's removal service and you dramatically reduce the amount of data attackers, marketers, or bad-faith buyers can use against your family. Start with a free scan to see who is already listing your details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are connected toys safe for kids?

It depends entirely on the model and the vendor. Well-audited toys from established brands with clear COPPA compliance and a strong security history can be reasonably safe when configured with 2FA, minimal profile data, and regular firmware updates. Cheap imports without a published privacy policy, or products with known past breaches, should generally be avoided — especially GPS smartwatches, which have the worst track record in the category.

What data do smart toys collect from children?

Depending on the toy, connected toys have been documented collecting voice recordings, video and photos, location data, chat history, playtime and behavior logs, and account information including a parent's email and a child's first name and birthdate. Much of this is sent to cloud servers where it can be breached, sold, or subpoenaed. Always read the toy's privacy policy before purchase and use the app's data-deletion controls monthly.

Does COPPA fully protect my child from connected-toy data collection?

COPPA sets the U.S. baseline — parental consent, deletion rights, retention limits — and the 2026 updates strengthened it, but enforcement is reactive. Many small brands and overseas sellers ignore the rules until the FTC or a state AG catches them. Parents still need to vet toys individually, minimize what personal data they give up, and delete stored recordings and chats on a regular schedule.

Should I put my kid's connected toy on my main Wi-Fi network?

No. Put connected toys on a guest network, which isolates them from your laptops, phones, and smart-home hubs. If the toy is ever compromised — a real risk given the category's security history — that isolation stops attackers from pivoting into more sensitive devices on your home network.

How do I delete all data a smart toy has collected on my child?

Under COPPA in the U.S. and GDPR in the EU, you have the right to have your child's data deleted. Start with the toy's parent app — most reputable products expose an "Erase my child's data" or "Delete account" option. If not, email the vendor's privacy team (the address is required in the privacy policy). If they do not respond within 30 days, file a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or the relevant state attorney general.

How do I keep the rest of my family's data off the internet, not just the toy's?

Locking down toys is only one layer. Parents' names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails typically appear on dozens of data broker and people-search sites — the same information attackers use for targeted phishing, SIM-swap fraud, and doxxing. PrivacyOn scans 100+ broker sites, submits removal requests, and monitors continuously so your household's data does not stay indexed. Family plans covering up to 5 people start at $8.33/month, and a free scan will show exactly which brokers currently list your details.