Warning: *Privacy Not Included with this product
Wrist phones used to be the cool gadgets spies used to do spy stuff. Now they are the gadget parents use to do parent stuff. So, maybe not much has changed from the days of Maxwell Smart (ask your grandparents). This smartwatch for kids age 5 - 12 would have made the spies of the 1970s proud. It's go built-in GPS tracking, phone calling, texting, camera (but no video calling as some smart watches for kids have), fitness tracking, and emergency SOS alerts. Parents can use the app to set up safe zones where kids can go and safe contact lists of people they can call or receive calls from. Yay for being able to keep close tabs on your kids. Boo for teaching kids that this sort of all day, everywhere surveillance is a normal, good thing. Maybe we should rethink that lesson a bit? But how does the Spacetalk Adventurer do at protecting you and your kids' privacy? Well, they aren't the worst we've seen. They could be better though.
Je, jambo gani linaweza kutokea mambo yakienda mrama?
This smartwatch designed for kids 5 - 12, along with the Spacetalk app, can collect a good deal of data on users (parents/guardians as well as kids). Spacetalk says they can collect everything from name, date of birth, gender, online identifiers, phone number, location, and (optionally) call recordings and pictures. This is a lot of personal information collected on you and, potentially, your child.
How does Spacetalk say they can use this information? Well, nowhere in their privacy policy do they say they don’t sell their users data, which is something we like to see clearly stated. However, they do say in this press release from December, 2021 that they don’t sell user data. We hope that’s true. It would be nice if they would state that clearly in their privacy policy though, as that’s a more formal policy than a press release. They also say they do use some of that data for marketing and personalization purposes and that they share some tracking data with third parties for advertising purposes. This isn’t great (although, it’s also not uncommon).
And Spacetalk does state in their privacy policy that they can collect personal information from third parties such as advertising networks and social media platforms and use it for purposes such as providing the service as well as potentially marketing and customization. They also say they can use your personal information for the very vague reason, “any other purpose made known in this Privacy Policy or other policy.” Privacy researchers kinda hate such vaguely worded statements in privacy policies that seem to be written by lawyers who like to give as much wiggle room as possible to use your data.
All in all, Spacetalk doesn’t have the worst privacy policy we’ve ever read. But it sure isn’t the best either. It doesn’t seem to grant everyone the same rights to access and delete their data, regardless of where they live. It does clearly state they don’t sell you personal information. And it has some vaguely worded wiggle room clauses that we never like to see.
What’s the worst that could happen with this location tracking, camera and microphone carrying, step monitoring, messaging, cellular connected device designed to be strapped to your child’s wrist. Well, lots of things come to mind. Here’s hoping all that location data this product and app can collect on you and your child is well protected and never misused. We get why you want to know where your kid is 24/7 -- that gives you peace of mind. But having someone else you don’t want to know where you and/or your kid is 24/7 is creepy as heck. Please do keep an eye on this, as that location data could be harmful in the wrong hands.
One final consideration. We think there is a good question to be raised about teaching young children that the level of digital surveillance this smartwatch provides is OK. Maybe we should track kids a little bit less, and teach them constant surveillance isn’t exactly a good thing?
Vidokezi vya kujilinda
- Parents, keep a sharp eye on parent controls and permissions.
- Do not sign up with third-party accounts. Better just log in with email and strong password.
- Chose a strong password! You may use a password control tool like 1Password, KeePass etc
- Use your device privacy controls to limit access to your personal information via app (do not give access to your camera, microphone, images, location unless neccessary)
- Keep your app regularly updated
- Limit ad tracking via your device (eg on iPhone go to Privacy -> Advertising -> Limit ad tracking) and biggest ad networks (for Google, go to Google account and turn off ad personalization)
- Request your data be deleted once you stop using the app. Simply deleting an app from your device usually does not erase your personal data.
- When starting a sign-up, do not agree to tracking of your data if possible.
Unaweza kunichunguza?
Kamera
Kifaa: Ndiyo
Programu: Ndiyo
Kipaza sauti
Kifaa: Ndiyo
Programu: Ndiyo
Inafuatilia eneo
Kifaa: Ndiyo
Programu: Ndiyo
Unaweza kutumia nini kujisajili?
Barua pepe
Ndiyo
Simu
Hapana
Akaunti ya mhusika mwingine
Hapana
Parents and Guardians sign up and create a Spacetalk account using their Email, Phone number and Password.
Kampuni inakusanya data gani?
Ya kibinafsi
First name, last name, date of birth, gender, username, or similar identifier and title, billing address, email address and telephone numbers, location data
Shirika linalohusiana
Weight, average activity levels, movement/physical ability, medical conditions, medication/prescriptions
Kijamii
Je, kampuni inatumiaje data hii?
Unawezaje kudhibiti data yako?
Je, rekodi ya kampuni inayojulikana ya kulinda data ya watumiaji ni gani?
No known data leaks or breaches discovered in the last three years.
Taarifa ya Faragha ya Mtoto
Je, bidhaa hii inaweza kutumika nje ya mtandao?
Time, Alarm Clock, Funny Sounds, Calendar, Album, Fitness, Timer, Calculator, Flashlight, Stopwatch can all be used when offline.
Maelezo ya faragha yanayofaa watumiaji?
Viungo vya taarifa za faragha
Je, bidhaa hii inakidhi Viwango vyetu vya Chini Zaidi vya Usalama?
Usimbaji fiche
Data is sent between Spacetalk Adventurer, Servers and Spacetalk apps is encrypted and sent using SSL and encrypted using AES ciphers.
Nenosiri thabiti
Masasisho ya usalama
Inashughulikia hatari
Sera ya faragha
Chunguza kwa Kina
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The Best Smartwatches For Kids (And Parents) To Stay ConnectedForbes
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Spacetalk Adventurer kids smartwatch review: A watch fitting of its nameAndroid Central
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The Best Smartwatches and Phones for KidsThe New York Times
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Spacetalk Privacy and Data SecurityYahoo! Money
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Smartwatch Privacy for Kids During the Coronavirus PandemicCommon Sense
Maoni
Una maoni? Tuambie.