Cayla doll too eavesdroppy to put under the Christmas tree, says France

The Commission Nationale Informatique et Libertés (CNIL) announced that it’s served formal notice to Genesis Industries about the Bluetooth-enabled talking/listening doll Cayla, along with her Bluetooth buddy i-Que robot. CNIL demands that the company cease its “serious breach of privacy” caused by the toys’ lack of security.

Both toys listen to children as they ask questions on subjects such as mathematical calculations or weather forecasts. Cayla and i-Que are equipped with microphones and speakers and use Bluetooth to communicate with a mobile app on smartphones or tablets. Off the app goes to the internet when it hears a question; back it comes to hand over the information to a child.