Kids' smartwatches are vulnerable to hacking

Some smartwatches designed specifically for children have poor security systems and become "easy prey" for hackers - experts warn.

The Norwegian Consumer Advisory Council (NCC) has tested smartwatches for children from several brands and found that these devices can be tracked, eavesdropped on, or even used to… communicate with the wearer.

Gator products are sold online. Photo: Alibaba

The manufacturers involved have announced that the problem has been fixed or is being taken care of.

UK retailer John Lewis has recalled one of its smartwatches after the report was published.

The smartwatches used in the test are marketed as simple phone devices, allowing parents to talk to their children as well as track their location.

Some have an SOS emergency feature so kids can contact parents instantly.

Their average price is 100 pounds.

The concern, the NCC said, is that Gator and GPS for Kids watches transmit and store data without any encryption.

Just a stranger, with the ability to use common security cracking techniques, can track children's movements, or make their current location appear completely different.

Consumer watchdog group has heavily criticised these "inferior" products and said parents would be shocked to learn of the risks.

"Safety and security should be an absolute priority. If you can't do that, the product shouldn't be on sale," said representative Alex Neil.

The watch, sold by retailer John Lewis, is branded Gator, although it is unclear whether it is affected. The retailer said it is recalling the product as a “precautionary measure” while it awaits “information and assurance from the supplier”.

GPS for Kids announced that it has fixed the security flaw for new products and existing customers will be provided with an upgraded version.

Gator's product distributor says that watch data has been moved to a new, encrypted server and they are developing a more secure app for customers.

According to TTO