New Barbie Eavesdrop n Invade Privacy

The Barbie Company has produced a doll that can record everything said by its owner and make chat responses has privacy advocates saying it sound creepy.

They have launched a petition urging toy-maker Mattel to scrap the "creepy" product, which uses an embedded microphone and voice-recognition software to "listen".

With one press of a button on its belt buckle, wifi-connected Hello Barbie will transmit audio to a cloud server where speech is recorded and processed.

Mattel says the doll will keep learning about its owner, remembering the name of the child's pet, for example, offering a more engaging play experience. 

At a recent New York toy fair, a Mattel representative told Hello Barbie she liked being on stage.

When the representative later asked the doll what she should do when she grew up, it responded: "Well, you told me you like being onstage. So maybe a dancer?" 

Mattel and ToyTalk, the San Francisco-based start-up that developed Hello Barbie's software, say privacy is their main concern.

But advocacy groups are labelling the toy "eavesdropping" Barbie.

Susan Linn, director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, said in a statement:  "Kids using Hello Barbie aren't only talking to a doll. 

"They are talking directly to a toy conglomerate whose only interest in them is financial.

"It's creepy - and creates a host of dangers for children and families." 

The group, which has launched the petition, says such a toy could be used to stealthily encourage children to pester their parents for more Barbie products.