The recall affects the Enox Safe-Kid-One smartwatch, which the European Commission says poses a “serious” risk because it sends and receives unencrypted data which could easily be taken, altered, and/or tracked.
“A malicious user can send commands to any watch making it call another number of his choosing, can communicate with the child wearing the device or locate the child through GPS,” the commission said in its recall notice.
The Safe-Kid-One comes with a GPS, microphone and speaker, and features a companion app which allows parents to track their children’s location and contact them in case of an emergency.
Tests conducted last year by security researchers found it was easy to track children, as the watches did a poor job of encrypting data or checking who was logging information.
In November 2017, Germany banned smartwatches for children saying they were “spying devices.”
Enox, the company that manufactures the smartwatches being recalled, called the commission’s decision “excessive,” adding that it was appealing the ruling. The recall is believed to be the first in the European Union (EU) involving a product or device alleged to not protect user data.
The commission has directed public authorities across Europe to recall Safe-Kid-One smartwatches from consumers.
Source: BBC