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WEBVTT VID BIENICK SHOWS US HOW. REPORTER: ONE OF THE TOYS IS A DOLL THAT KNOWS YOU BY NAME. AND THE OTHER IS A ROBOT AS SMART AS A SCIENTIST. TO MAKE THE MAGIC HAPPEN, THESE TOYS ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET. AND CONSUMER ADVOCATES SAY THAT'S WHERE THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH PRIVACY. JOSH GOLIN IS WITH ONE OF SEVERAL CONSUMER ADVOCACY GROUPS THAT HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION. THE ADVOCATES SAY BURLINGTON-BASED NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS IS NOT ONLY RECORDING CHILDREN'S VOICES THROUGH THE TOYS BUT ALSO KEEPING THOSE RECORDINGS TO DO WHATEVER IT WANTS. >> WHEN THEY ARE PLAYING ALONG WITH A DOLL THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE NOT GOING TO BE LISTENED TO COME ARE NOT GOING TO BE SHARED WITH STRANGERS. REPORTER: BECAUSE THEY CONNECT TO THE INTERNET THEY CONTAIN ANOTHER EVEN MORE DISTURBING DEFECT. REPORTER: IN THIS VIDEO, A NORWEGIAN GROUP SAYS IT'S POSSIBLE FOR A PREDATOR TO HACK INTO THE TOYS AND USE A PHONE TO TALK THROUGH THE TOY TO THE CHILD PLAYING WITH IT. >> THIS CAN HAPPEN FOR MY LONG-DISTANCE. REPORTER: THE ADVOCATES WANT TOY-MAKERS TO PUT IN PLACE BETTER SECURITY, CLEARER DISCLOSURE AND A COMMITMENT THAT WHAT'S SAID DURING PRIVATE PLAYTIME STAYS STRICTLY BETWEEN A CHILD AND HIS TOY. IN BURLINGTON, DAVID BIENICK, WCVB NEWSCENTER 5. ED: IN A STATEMENT RELEASED LATE TODAY, NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS ACKNOWLEDGES THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY DOES RAISE IMPORTANT PRIVACY CONSIDERATIONS. BUT THE COMPANY SAYS, QUOTE, OUR POLICY IS WE DON'T USE OR SELL VOICE DATA FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING PURPOSES. AND NUANCE DOES NOT SHARE VOICE DATA COLLECTED FROM OR ON BEHALF OF ANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS WITH ANY

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Several consumer-advocacy groups filed a privacy complaint Tuesday against a Boston-area company that helps make a new generation of interactive toys. According to the groups, the toys are connected to the internet, which allows them to record the voices of children who play with them and permanently store those recordings. “This is violation of the Children's Online Privacy Act,” said Josh Golin of the Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood. The two toys named in the complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission are the I-Que Intelligent Robot and the My Friend Cayla doll. “Children should grow up with an expectation that when they're playing alone with a doll that those conversations aren't going to be listened to, aren't going to be shared with strangers,” Golin told WCVB. The toys are manufactured by Genesis Toys, based in Hong Kong. Nuance Communications, which is based in Burlington, Mass., developed and manages the toys’ interactive-software technology. In a statement posted online, Nuance acknowledged such technology raises important privacy considerations and promised to work with federal regulators. However, the company denied any privacy violations. “Our policy is that we don’t use or sell voice data for marketing or advertising purposes,” wrote Richard Mack, Nuance’s vice president of corporate marketing and communications. “Nuance does not share voice data collected from or on behalf of any of our customers with any of our other customers,” Mack also wrote. Because the toys connect to the internet using a smartphone app, advocates said there's another, perhaps more disturbing problem. According to the Norwegian Consumer Council, it has proven it is possible for predators to hack into the toys and use them to talk to the children playing with them. “That this can happen from a long distance makes it even scarier,” said Finn Myrstad, the council’s head of digital services section, in a video posted online. Golin said the FTC complaint could result in a fine against the companies, but would more likely lead to an agreement to change its policies. He said the complaint-filers would like to see increased security measures in the toys, clearer disclosure and a commitment not to store children’s voices. While only two toys were named in the complaint, Golin said many other internet-connected toys have similar features. He encouraged parents to avoid purchasing the toys until changes are made.