{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-senate-report-raises-privacy-concerns-associated-with-use-of-smart-toys", "New Senate report raises privacy concerns associated with use of smart toys", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Bill Nelson", "N000032", "www.billnelson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 With the holiday shopping season in full swing, a new Senate report unveiled today by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) is cautioning parents about the privacy risk associated with so-called smart toys.\nSmart toys, which can interact with a child by connecting to the internet, can become a target for hackers and identity thieves looking to steal a parent or child\u2019s personal information often stored by the toymaker.\nThese toys, and the companies that make them, often collect and store a wide range of personal information about the consumers who use them, including names, addresses, birthdates, physical locations, credit card information and Wi-Fi passwords to name a few.\nThe report noted that, if improperly secured, criminals can use the information stored on these devices in a variety of ways. For example: a child's Social Security number can be used by identity thieves to apply for government benefits, open bank and credit card accounts or apply for a loan. Additionally, a child\u2019s name, home address, online contact information or physical location can be used to contact or even abduct that child.\nThe report cites three incidents in which smart toy manufacturers failed to adequately secure a child\u2019s personal information.\u00a0\nOne such incident involved a data breach at VTech Electronics, a leading manufacturer of electronic learning toys and baby monitors. The breach, which occurred last year, reportedly exposed the personal information of more than six million children around the globe, including their names, genders and birthdates, as well as photographs and account passwords. \u00a0\nThe report went on to cite security flaws found in two other popular children\u2019s toys \u2013 Fisher-Price\u2019s Smart Toy Bear and hereO\u2019s GPS watch \u2013 which could have exposed not only a child\u2019s personal information, but in the case of the GPS watch, a child\u2019s real-time physical location as well.\u00a0\n\u201cIt\u2019s frightening to think that our children\u2019s toys can be used against them in this way,\u201d said Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee. \u201cThe companies that make these toys have to do more to safeguard the parents and children who use them.\u201d \u00a0\nThe report recommends several measures parents can take both before and after purchasing a smart toy to help secure their child\u2019s information, including:\nBefore purchasing a toy:\n Learn what personal information the toy will collect, how that information will be used, whether it will be shared and how long it will be retained.\u00a0This information can usually be found in the device\u2019s privacy policy. If a toy\u2019s privacy policy is too long and confusing, parents may want to reconsider giving that product to their child.\n\tCheck whether the manufacturer of a particular toy has been the subject of a previous data breach and how the company handled that breach.\n After purchasing a toy:\n Change the default passwords that come with the toy and install any available updates to the toy\u2019s software.\n\tIf possible, change the toy\u2019s default privacy settings to limit the amount of personal information it provides to the manufacturer. Parents should allow a toy to collect only the information that is necessary for it to properly function.\n A copy of the report is available here: https://www.billnelson.senate.gov/sites/default/files/12.14.16_Ranking_Member_Nelson_Report_on_Connected_Toys.pdf.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-senate-report-raises-privacy-concerns-associated-with-use-of-smart-toys"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.710518030449748, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}