Your New Best Frenemy: Hello Barbie and Privacy Without Screens

Meg Leta Jones

doi:10.17351/ests2016.84

Your New Best Frenemy: Hello Barbie and Privacy Without Screens

Meg Leta Jones Georgetown University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17351/ests2016.84

Keywords: smart toys, privacy, surveillance, comparative policy, Internet of Things

Abstract

Hello Barbie, a "smart toy" that uses voice recognition and wifi to interact with children, has raised significant privacy concerns among commentators. She represents not only a new type of toy but is also a device categorized in the Internet of Things. This Critical Engagement investigates what privacy means and how it is effectuated when there is no screen to provide notice and consent by asking how one knows if Hello Barbie can keep a secret.

Author Biography

Meg Leta Jones, Georgetown University

Assistant Professor

Communication, Culture & Technology

Science, Technology, & International Affairs (courtesy)

Published

01 Aug 2016

Issue

Vol. 2 (2016)

Section

Critical Engagements

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