Back in November, I had posted a news item about a Barbie doll that comes with a built-in video camera. The Associated Press now reports that the FBI has issued an alert over the toy:
Mattel’s Barbie Video Girl has a video camera lens built into its necklace that can record up to 30 minutes of footage to be downloaded on a computer.
Officials warned that it could possibly be used to produce child pornography, but said they don’t have any reported crimes.
Read more on News Channel 5.
I think Barbie Doll produced child porn will be fairly rare. I hope so, anyway. It’s still a good idea if your child gets one to tell them to always make sure it’s off and/or the camera is facing the wall or mattress when they’re changing or getting ready for bed. If you have an especially precocious kid you might need to explicitly tell them not to take video of themselves undressed, too, I guess.
I give it a month before we see a headline like “6 year-old arrested by school for videotaping other students in violation of state law.”
At what age do you suppose it’s appropriate to have “The Talk” with your child:
“Honey, you need to understand that in our state, you cannot videotape someone without their consent, unless, of course, they’re in a public space, in which case they have no reasonable expectation of privacy.”
5? 6? How old? 🙂