Hackers Stalked Me by Hijacking a Smartwatch for Kids

Cheap GPS-enabled smartwatches marketed for children were found to contain serious security vulnerabilities rooted in a shared, insecure supply chain — meaning dozens of device models were affected by the same flaws simultaneously. Attackers could exploit these weaknesses to silently track real-time location, capture photos, and eavesdrop on audio, turning a safety device into a surveillance tool against its intended user. The root cause lies in manufacturers prioritizing cost over security, shipping devices with default credentials, unencrypted communications, and no secure development lifecycle. This matters because vulnerable IoT devices targeting children represent both a physical safety risk and a serious privacy violation, often with no viable patch path for consumers. Parents and caregivers are rarely equipped to assess the security posture of these devices before purchase.