[creep]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I agree with the decision. Perhaps this will push the producers of such devices to up their privacy game, and in the future there should be security audits before allowing them back on the market. Regulation of production would be more difficult and more liable to error than if a producer were forced to prove itself reliable and trustworthy before being allowed to sell products to children.

For me as well this is an issue of high concern. Many parents blindly put faith in technology in their children's hands (especially in this case, where the smartwatches are marketed as a safety feature), but this may now encourage parents to be more mindful as to such decisions. In our society, we have a ravenous competition for who can grab children's attention and keep it. Perhaps if the competitors are willing to prove they have products that will actually improve a child's well-being, this game wouldn't be as odd as it seems to me now.

edit: I see now that this is only a ban on smartwatches with recording/audio capability. This makes my point somewhat irrelevant.

[Odenwaelder]

Or, parent should put more trust in the world and their child. You don’t need to know what your kid does at all times.

[creep]

That is also a good option. GPS trackers on children do not solve any inherent problem. Teach the child how to be responsible, allow the child to prove themselves responsible and trustworthy, and there is little to worry about.

[sundvor]

I agree wholeheartedly. If not only for the fact that the data was transmitted and stored without any encryption.