Smart tech companies claim their devices provide greater convenience and new learning opportunities for children and students, but they also collect and share more information than ever.
More and more of these smart devices are being used by children as toys at home and with students as learning tools in the classroom every day. The category of smart devices, or the Internet of Things (IoT), covers all the objects or devices used in your home, office, or school that are connected to the internet. Our findings are intended to help parents and teachers make better informed decisions about whether to buy this device or a similar smartwatch for use with their children at home or with students at school.
In addition, for our testing purposes we also did not attempt to intercept or observe any cellular or Bluetooth wireless traffic. We can sometimes observe what data goes to and from the device, but we can't necessarily see what happens with the data when it reaches the external destination. Our approach lets us compare what the smart tech company says they do with data with what our limited testing can observe about what they actually do with data. When evaluating whether to use smart tech paired with a mobile app at home or in the classroom, parents and teachers need a comprehensive understanding of both the privacy and security practices of a smart device. 2, identifying the potential privacy risks and harms that may affect children, students, and families who use these devices. We completed evaluations of the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active, Verizon GizmoWatch, Fitbit Ace 2, and Garmin Vivofit Jr. We evaluated the privacy practices and performed a hands-on basic security test of five popular smartwatches used by kids and teens for parents and teachers to learn more about their security practices and how they compare to other popular smartwatches. The Common Sense Privacy Program evaluates the privacy policies of popular consumer and education technology applications and services that are currently used by millions of children at home and in the classroom. Earn a badge of recognition for teaching digital citizenship.