Smartwatches for children are not secure

At first glance, a child’s smartwatch fitted with a GPS function might seem to be a useful and fun device. But be careful: appearances can be deceptive. According to research by the Norwegian consumer association Forbrukerradet, there are clearly examples on the market of smartwatches which, in addition to not being secure, also infringe privacy. As a result, Test Achats, which defends the rights of Belgian consumers, has asked FPS Economy and the Privacy Commission to take immediate measures.

The concept for these smartwatches appears to be of interest: when children are wearing the device on their wrist, their parents can monitor where they are and stay in contact with them using an app on their smartphone. Some watches even feature an SOS button, which enables the child to raise the alarm if there is a problem.

Persons unknown can eavesdrop on the child

But in reality, not all is so rosy. According to the tests conducted by the Norwegian consumer association, the "Gator 2", "TC2-2" and "Wonlex" (associated with the Se Tracker app) watches are not secure. However, they are all currently on sale in Belgium on Coolblue, Bol.com, Mediamarkt and Groupon.be.

In essence, this means that an unknown person could take control of these watches, track the child’s movements and listen to and communicate with the child. Also, these devices generate information about the child that is sensitive and private, and where this data ends up is far from clear.

To sum up, if you feel the safety, security and privacy of your child is important, then do not under any circumstances buy this type of watch.