A smartwatch can be a powerful tech tool. But can it be a tool for spying? The German government wrestles with this question. So their move was controversial. Germany bans smartwatches from kids.
Furthermore, this includes anyone under the age of 18. Not only that, the German government told parents to destroy the smartwatches they already got their kids. Not return them for a refund, but destroy them! This comes from privacy concerns that are not just in Germany, but in much of Europe. Citizens complain parents used smartphones to spy on their children’s activities. People also complain teens spy on teachers and classmates using smartwatches. Then there are hacking worries.
Also, smartwatches are becoming more popular among children and teens. There is a consumer watchdog group Norwegian Consumer Council. They said parents should think twice before getting any child/teen a smartwatch. They called out four brands. These brands are Gator 2, Tenitell,?Viksfjord and Xplora. At first, the group only suggested banning these four brands. But Germany took it even further. Germany bans smartwatches for kids, and it’s all smartwatches. However, that’s not the only IT service machine Europeans have come after. Because they banned My Friend Cayla. That’s a doll that has a microphone in it that can pick up conversation. And people raised privacy concerns that as well.
Some may say this is a good call. I say it’s a little extreme. Okay, parents and others share concern over privacy issues. I get it. I’m concerned as well. We live in a world where we’re walking on eggshells because we don’t know who is spying on us or what is being picked up. But who is any government to ban smartwatches? This is an Orwellian big brother move. If the German government wants to warn people of smartwatches, then warn them. Don’t take away their right to own one. Today it’s smartwatches. But tomorrow, it could be anything computer technology and computer repair. If a government can take smartwatches away, then what’s next?