by askaunty · Published · Updated
John Lewis has removed a children’s smartwatch from sale amid concerns that it could be easily hacked to track their location.
The Norwegian Consumer Council (NCC) revealed that several brands of children’s smartwatch, have such poor security controls that hackers could easily follow their movements and eavesdrop on conversations.
The watches are designed for children too young to own a phone and are meant to give parents peace of mind. A smartphone app can follow their movements, and the watches can make calls to a small number of phone numbers. They also have SOS buttons that alert parents when children are in distress, and can create “geofences” that tell parents when a child has left an area.
However, the NCC and security group Mnemonic found that several of the devices have critical security flaws that allow hackers to log into the app and access a child’s current and historical location. The app can also force the watch to make phone calls, meaning a hacker could listen in on conversations.
The researchers tested the Gator 2, Tinitell, Viksfjord, and Xplora watches, but warned that several other ones could also be vulnerable, since they often share apps.
John Lewis, which sold a different Gator watch for £99.95, has removed the watch from its website.
“As a precautionary measure we have withdrawn from sale all Gator smartwatch products while we await further advice and reassurance from the supplier,” a spokesman said.
Alex Neill of consumer group Which? said: “Though these products are marketed at making children safer, parents will be shocked if they actually put them at risk because of shoddy security.
“While there is no denying the huge benefits smart-gadgets can bring to our daily lives, safety and security should be the absolute priority. If that can’t be guaranteed, then the products should not be sold.”
The NCC also found that some manufacturers had inadequate consent forms about how data was being used.
On Thursday the National Cyber Security Centre issued a warning about the watches. A spokesman said: “Parents who are worried about this report should contact the manufacturers. As with all products, if security updates become available they should be installed as soon as possible.
“All Internet-connected devices should have built-in security measures to ensure the benefits of smart technology are not outweighed by potential harms.”
Tags: National CyberJohn Lewis
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