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by albertgoeswoof 3132 days ago
The market is not self regulating here. Most parents cannot know or understand the security issues behind these devices, and are unable to make an informed decision on the risks.

In that respect, it makes total sense to put a blanket ban on these until regulations can put put in place that only allow the sale of devices that respect privacy.

At the end of the day if you really want a smartwatch on your child you can just buy one anyway.

1 comments

> The market is not self regulating here.

The market is rarely self regulating here in the U.S., either, assuming you’re referring to people making decisions with their dollars. Rather, the market is driven by a combination of advertising, media coverage, speculative investing, and established big interests. We as a consumerist culture enjoy indulging in the illusion that we are making our own purchase decisions.

The market is more like a game of hungry hungry hippos. Yes, the balls move in all sorts of directions at many different speeds, and while they appear to be doing so in response to collisions with one another, their propulsion is a result of the hippos chasing them, chomping at them, and generally moving the board with the force of their jaws coming down.

Examples of this include diamond engagement rings, the growing size of single family homes, sugar’s infiltration of our diet, tax havens, and $1k+ phones.

Disclaimer: I apologize for hijacking your comment. Also, I understand the need for HN to ignore my comment or intensely downvote it; I know what I’m doing and saying as I post this.

Cheers.

Edit: spelling