Privacy in smart toys: Risks and proposed solutions

Abstract Smart toys have become popular as technological solutions offer a better experience for children. However, the technology employed greatly increases the risks to children’s privacy, which does not seem to have become a real concern for toy makers. We investigated this issue through a study driven by two major research questions: which are the major smart toys-related children’s privacy risks and which are the major mitigation so to such risks. To answer these questions, we conducted a scoping review. As a result, we selected 26 primary studies and elaborated two classifications of risks and proposed solutions – technical and domain-specific. The most mentioned technical risk is data disclosure, while from a domain-specific perspective there is much concern on the children’s physical and psychological safety. From a mitigation standpoint, many recommendations and solutions have been proposed, but without a more common type of contribution. As a main conclusion, we observed that toy makers and privacy regulations are not yet ready regarding children’s privacy for a more active smart toys market.