Germany's Federal Network Agency, its national telecommunications regulator, has banned the sale of smartwatches for children with monitoring functions and said they should be considered as "unauthorised transmitters", given that parents can use these watches to surveil and eavesdrop on their children's surroundings, according Telecompaper. The president of the agency, Jochen Homann, said it had found instances of parents using these watches to listen to teachers while their children were in the classroom.
These smartwatches contain a SIM card and limited telephony capabilities that can be set up and controlled through an app. Users of the app can programme the watch and dial telephone numbers unbeknownst to the wearer, enabling the app user to eavesdrop on the wearer and her or his environment. This type of eavesdropping violates German law, said the Federal Network Agency.
The regulator has urged parents and other purchasers of these watches to destroy them and send proof of their destruction to the Federal Network Agency.
A number of companies sell smartwatches with listening functions in Germany for children between the ages of 5 and 12. The Federal Network Agency said it has already taken action against several firms selling these watches online but declined to name the companies targeted.
Earlier this year, the Federal Network Agency banned a bluetooth-enabled children’s smart doll, Cayla, citing similar concerns and privacy violations.
