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Freedom251 › Blog › connected toys

How to Manage Privacy and Voice-Recording Settings on Connected Toys

By Freedom251 Team · · 5 min read

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Before a child uses a connected toy, check what its microphone or camera can capture, what turns it on, and where its settings let you control or delete data. There is no universal menu path or guaranteed microphone-off switch: features and controls vary by toy, app, software version, and region. Use the manufacturer’s current instructions and privacy notice to verify each step.

Start by checking what the toy can hear or see

Inspect the toy, its packaging, the manufacturer’s documentation, and any companion app. Look for a microphone, camera, internet connection, account requirement, and voice activation method. The toy may listen for a wake word, respond only after a button is pressed, or use another method; do not assume which applies without checking its documentation.

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Ask: “What will it be recording, and will you know when the camera or microphone is on?” That is the Federal Trade Commission’s question for caregivers considering connected toys. Check whether the product explains how an active microphone or camera is signaled, such as by a light or sound, and whether that signal means it is listening, recording, or transmitting. Those states are not necessarily the same.

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Find parent controls and review the defaults

Before setup or first use, open the toy’s companion app and account settings and consult the current, toy-specific help pages. Record the exact menu names you see; paths vary, so a general guide cannot reliably name a button or setting for every model.

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  • Identify who can change settings: a caregiver account, a child profile, or another connected account.
  • Check whether voice features, recording, or other data collection are enabled by default.
  • Look for options to turn off voice features, disconnect the toy, or close a child profile, and confirm what each option actually stops.
  • Check what account details or app permissions are required for the toy to work, and whether any are optional.

The FTC recommends checking parent involvement, available controls, options, and default settings—not assuming that a toy’s advertised privacy features are enabled or sufficient.

Verify whether there is a real way to stop listening

Look for a physical switch or button that stops the microphone from listening, and check whether a visible or audible indicator shows when listening is active. These are questions to verify, not features every connected toy has. A mute control in an app may not have the same effect as a physical switch, so consult the maker’s instructions to understand what each control disables.

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If you cannot establish when the microphone or camera is active, or what a control does, do not rely on an indicator or setting based on its name alone. Check the product-specific help information or contact the manufacturer before allowing use.

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Trace what happens to a voice recording

Read the privacy notice and product-specific help pages for the full recording lifecycle. Look for direct answers to these questions:

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  • What is collected, and why? Does the service collect audio, voice commands, account information, or other child data? What purpose does it give for each?
  • Where does audio go? Does the toy send audio to an internet service, or is processing described as happening on the device? Check where information is stored if the maker says it is stored.
  • Who can access it? Does the notice explain access by the maker, service providers, or other parties? Does it say whether people review recordings?
  • How long is it retained? Look for a retention period or an explanation of when audio and related information are deleted.
  • Can a caregiver review or delete it? Find the steps for viewing and deleting recordings and related child data, and whether deletion applies to copies held by the service.
  • What happens if you disconnect or close an account? Check whether this stops new collection and whether previously collected information is deleted or retained.

The FTC’s connected-toy guidance specifically urges caregivers to ask where data—including pictures and recordings—is stored, how it is shared, who has access, and whether it can be deleted. If the notice does not answer a question, ask the manufacturer rather than inferring a practice from a feature description.

What U.S. COPPA guidance says about children’s voice recordings

In the United States, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) may apply to commercial websites and online services—including connected toys—that are directed to children under 13 and collect, use, or disclose children’s personal information. FTC guidance treats audio files containing a child’s voice as personal information. Whether a particular service is covered depends on the circumstances; a product’s marketing alone does not establish that it complies.

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The FTC’s 2017 policy statement describes a narrow enforcement policy for certain temporary voice-command audio. When an operator collects a child’s voice recording solely as a temporary substitute for written words to perform a search or fulfill a verbal request, and keeps it only briefly for that purpose, the FTC says it will not take enforcement action for failure to obtain parental consent on that basis. The operator must still give clear notice about collection, use, and deletion; cannot use the recording for another purpose before destroying it; and remains subject to other COPPA requirements.

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This policy is not a general exemption for stored recordings, voice profiles, unrelated analytics, or voice requests that include information such as a child’s name. The FTC states: “The policy does not apply when the operator requests information via voice that would otherwise be considered personal information, such as a name.” This is U.S. federal guidance, not a complete account of privacy law in other jurisdictions.

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When the privacy information is unclear

If you cannot find clear information about what a toy collects, how it shares or secures children’s data, or how to control and delete recordings, pause before connecting it or letting a child use it. The FTC’s consumer advice is to consider another toy, including one that is less connected. A non-connected educational toy can avoid the questions created by an internet-connected microphone, though caregivers should still consider other product-specific safety and privacy information.

The FTC’s 2019 guidance puts the choice plainly: “If you can’t find information on how a smart toy collects, shares, or secures your kids’ data, think about buying something else.”

Official sources

As a historical enforcement example, the FTC announced in 2018 that VTech agreed to pay $650,000 as part of a settlement resolving FTC allegations involving children’s privacy law and FTC Act violations. The announcement described allegations about parental notice and consent, reasonable data security, and claims concerning encryption. It is not an assessment of VTech’s current products.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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