Securing Smart Toys and Internet-Connected Devices for Your Child
A child’s toy that connects to the internet is now a small computer in the home. Smart speakers, baby monitors, connected toys, and wearable trackers all collect data. They can also be entry points for someone who should never have access to them.
Internet-connected devices are convenient, but they bring real risks. A hacked camera, toy, or smart speaker could let an outsider watch or listen inside your home. Some devices quietly gather voice recordings, location, and habits. Young children rarely understand that these objects can be “seen” or “heard.”
The good news is that most of these risks are preventable. Setting a device up carefully before a child ever touches it makes a huge difference.
Start with the basics. Use a strong, unique password on every device and never reuse one. Turn off features your child doesn’t need, including camera, microphone, and location access. Review the app’s privacy settings before setup, not after. Put devices like baby monitors and smart speakers on a separate Wi-Fi network if you can. Turn devices off when they are not in use.
Also talk with your child about what these devices do. A child who understands a toy can hear or record is more careful with what they say near it.
Parents should never feel alone in this. Helpful, plain-language guidance exists, and the conversation with your child is the most powerful tool of all. When you model good privacy habits, your children learn to protect themselves.
Read the NSPCC’s practical guide to internet-connected devices for a step-by-step look at checking settings, choosing passwords, and talking to your child about the smart devices in your home.
Stay safe, and keep the people you love protected. If someone behaves inappropriately toward a child online, report it.