The Norwegian Consumer Council (NCC) has warned that some smartwatches designed for children have security flaws that make them susceptible to hackers. Watches from brands including Gator and GPS were tested and it was discovered that attackers could track, eavesdrop or even communicate with the users. The smartwatches serve as basic smartphones, allowing parents to communicate with their children as well as track their location. Some of the watches include an SOS feature that allows the child to instantly call their parents.
The NCC said it was concerned that Gator and GPS kid’s watches transmitted and stored data without encryption. This means that strangers could track children as they moved, or could make a child appear to be in a completely different location.
Consumer rights watchdog Which? criticised the watches and said that parents would be shocked if they knew the risks. ‘Safety and security should be the absolute priority – if that cannot be guaranteed then the products should not be sold,’ said spokeswoman Alex Neill.
As a precautionary measure, John Lewis has withdrawn one of the named smartwatch models from sale in response and is waiting for further advice and reassurance from the supplier.
GPS for Kids said it had resolved the security flaws for new watches and that existing customers were being offered an upgrade.
The UK distributor of the Gator watch said it had moved its data to a new encrypted server and was developing a new, more secure app for customers.
www.bbc.co.uk (19th October 17)