VOA慢速英语--欧盟召回有严重隐私风险的儿童手表

EU Recalls Child Smartwatch Over ‘Serious’ Privacy Risks

The European Commission has ordered a recall of a smartwatch for children because of what is calls a “serious” privacy risk.

The watch, called Safe-KID-One, is a product of the German electronics manufacturer Enox. The company sells other smartwatch models, as well as televisions and wireless¹ communication devices.

On its website, Enox describes the Safe-KID-One as a tool for parents. The watches have a simple, colorful design that seems appealing to children. The device has a built-in microphone and speaker to permit two-way communication.

The company says the smartwatch can be used by parents to learn where their children are at all times and contact them. It says this can be done with a computer software program, or app.

The Enox website says children wearing the watch can place a telephone call with just one touch of a number. The site claims that “only pre-listed parties” can call a child through the device.

However, the European Commission (EC) recently reported that it found major security concerns with the Safe-KID-One system. The EC is the decision-making body of the European Union (EU). The warning was made public through the EC’s “Rapid Alert System.” Commission members investigated the device after concerns were reported by officials in Iceland.

The EC wrote that the risk level of the smartwatches was “serious” and called for an immediate² recall of the devices.

The warning said the app linked to the Safe-KID-One device can permit non-secure communications with the system’s computer server. The server’s security issues make it possible for people to break into the system and steal private information, the EC said.

As a result, “data such as location history, phone numbers and serial³ number can be easily retrieved⁴ and changed,” it warned.

“A malicious⁶ user can send commands to any watch - making it call another number of his choosing - can communicate with the child wearing the device, or locate the child through GPS,” the warning said.

The European Commission said the privacy and security risks led to its decision to announce an immediate recall of the devices from EU members. EC officials said the Safe-KID-One was being sold on the internet.

The founder⁷ of Enox, Ole Anton Bieltvedt, spoke⁸ to the British Broadcasting Corporation about the EC’s decision. He said the device had met all German government rules last year before being offered to the public. He added that the version of the smartwatch tested by the EC was no longer being sold.

Enox plans to appeal the recall decision.

It is not the first time privacy and security concerns have been raised about smartwatches for children.

?In 2017, German officials banned some kinds of smartwatches. The government said the watches let parents secretly listen in to children and their environment. At the time, no specific smartwatches were named.

Officials said the devices had microphones that let parents listen in on teachers and school activities. The government said the system violated German laws aimed at restricting surveillance.

Also in 2017, a Norwegian Consumer Council report warned of the dangers of smartwatches for children. The group said it had uncovered serious security and privacy issues after examining and testing several smartwatch models being sold across Europe.

The report said that in a few simple steps, a stranger could easily take control of the watches to be able to find, listen to and communicate with a child. At the time, the council said there was an urgent need for manufacturers to increase security of the systems or face forced recalls of the devices.

I’m Bryan Lynn. And I’m Dorothy Gundy.

Words in This Story

recall – n. an order to return something found to have problems

location – n. a place or position

retrieve⁵ – v. get something

malicious – adj. intended to cause harm

GPS – n. abbreviation for Global Positioning System: a system of computers and satellites used to identify where users are

surveillance – n. the careful watching of something or someone, especially by police or the government

1 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 serial   

n.连本影片，连本电视节目；adj.连续的

参考例句：

• A new serial is starting on television tonight.今晚电视开播一部新的电视连续剧。
• Can you account for the serial failures in our experiment?你能解释我们实验屡屡失败的原因吗？

4 retrieved   

v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Yesterday I retrieved the bag I left in the train. 昨天我取回了遗留在火车上的包。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He reached over and retrieved his jacket from the back seat. 他伸手从后座上取回了自己的夹克。 来自辞典例句

5 retrieve   

vt.重新得到，收回；挽回，补救；检索

参考例句：

• He was determined to retrieve his honor.他决心恢复名誉。
• The men were trying to retrieve weapons left when the army abandoned the island.士兵们正试图找回军队从该岛撤退时留下的武器。

6 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。