Marco Crisciotti A Swiss consumer study reveals alarming privacy and security flaws in children’s smartwatches, sparking debate on constant GPS monitoring and calls for stricter regulation.
The spread among the youngest
Children’s smartwatches are becoming increasingly common in Swiss elementary schools. These devices are essentially simplified smartphones, offering functions such as calls, messaging, video chats, and GPS tracking so that parents can always know where their kids are. Yet behind this apparent convenience lie serious risks for both security and privacy.
The investigation that uncovered the risks
The Swiss consumer magazine K-Tipp carried out an in-depth investigation in collaboration with cybersecurity firm Compass Security. Their goal was simple but pressing: to test whether these increasingly popular gadgets were truly safe and reliable for children.
The devices under scrutiny
The study examined eleven different smartwatch models designed for kids. Prices varied widely—from budget Chinese-made devices sold for as little as 25 dollars (around 23 euros) to the Apple Watch SE, retailing at 249 dollars (229 euros). The price gap reflected not just brand value but, as it turned out, security standards as well.
The most alarming vulnerabilities
The findings were unsettling. Six of the tested models had a critical flaw that allowed adults to secretly listen to a child’s conversations through the companion app on their phones. Even worse, one Chinese-made model, the Okyuk Children’s Smartwatch, could be remotely triggered to start a hidden video call—turning the watch into a surveillance tool without the child’s knowledge.
Several devices, including models like Swgota and Look Me! 3, rely on the “SeTracker” app. Through a feature called “Sound Guardian,” it enables invisible spy calls that never appear on the child’s watch display.
The european legal framework
Germany has already banned such devices after discovering that some parents used them to eavesdrop on teachers during class. Switzerland hasn’t yet issued a specific ban, though the federal data protection authority has made it clear: recording or intercepting private conversations without consent is a criminal offense.
Italy presents a legal gray zone. While the Ministry of Education explicitly bans smartphones in schools, there is no clear rule regarding smartwatches, leaving families and schools in a difficult position.
The most dangerous cybersecurity flaws
Technical vulnerabilities were no less concerning. Two models in particular—the Xplora XGO3 Kids and the TCL Movetime Family Watch—were found to transmit data entirely unencrypted, exposing sensitive information such as home Wi-Fi passwords.
The “SeTracker” app came under heavy criticism. It uses the default password “123456,” a glaring weakness that has already been exploited in the past. In one of the more alarming cases, researchers found that a Chinese manufacturer’s server had been compromised, with hackers installing a backdoor to gain remote access to the devices.
How the market responded
Retailers reacted differently once the results were published. Digitec Galaxus and Media Markt immediately suspended sales of the vulnerable models. Interdiscount, on the other hand, shifted responsibility onto manufacturers, while Amazon said it had launched internal checks but kept selling the devices for now.
The few considered safe
Out of the eleven tested, only three smartwatches passed all security checks without major flaws: the Apple Watch SE, the Xplora X6, and the Anio 5s. These models encrypted their data and were declared fully compliant with both Swiss and European privacy regulations.
The debate over constant surveillance
Beyond the technical risks, the study also reignited the debate over whether children should be subject to constant GPS monitoring. Switzerland’s federal data protection commissioner has taken a firm stance, reminding parents that children, too, have a right to privacy and that permanent oversight is disproportionate to the goal of ensuring safety.
The schools’ perspective
In Switzerland, schools are showing growing skepticism. Increasingly, principals are urging families to keep smartwatches out of classrooms. Their reasoning is straightforward: these devices distract students, disrupt lessons, and risk becoming unauthorized surveillance tools within school walls.
The situation in the United States
In the United States, children’s smartwatches are also widely available, but regulatory oversight remains limited. While some school districts have banned these devices in classrooms to prevent distractions, federal privacy protections are still patchy, leaving parents largely responsible for assessing the security and privacy risks of the devices they purchase.
