[T]oxic toys are stocked on retailers’ shelves, along with dolls that violate children’s privacy and other playtime products that can block youngsters’ windpipes, according to a report released this week by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.
The advocacy group issues a similar report every year.
VPIRG used the occasion to remind Vermonters that legislators this year sought to bolster state laws governing toxins in children’s toys through a bill titled S.103. That legislation faltered late in the session.
But in spite of existing regulations, toys that violate them are still found online and at some retailers around the country, the report says. They include Walmart, Dollar Tree and Target, according to the report, which was compiled by VPIRG’s national affiliate, U.S. PIRG.
For instance, a “fidget spinner” sold at Target contains lead in concentrations hundreds of times greater than federal law allows in children’s products, the report says.
Target announced earlier this month it will remove two fidget spinner models from its shelves. The products had been labeled for use by teenagers but are popular among children, according to VPIRG.
Target has no Vermont locations but plans to open one in South Burlington.
Researchers said they also found a doll that uses voice-recognition software over the internet to give the appearance of talking. A model called My Friend Cayla has been banned in Germany for the invasion of children’s privacy it represents, the report says.
The dolls ask children a variety of personal questions and record the audio from children’s interactions with them.
In July the FBI warned parents to consider cyber security before bringing home interactive internet-connected toys, because the information they glean — such as name, birthday, school and interests — can put children’s safety at risk.
“We can and must do better for our kids,” VPIRG Field Director Adam Maxwell said in a news release. “If manufacturers will not voluntarily make their products safer, then we urge the federal government and Vermont’s Department of Health and legislative leaders to take action.”
The report also lists recalled toys and recommendations for how parents and caregivers can protect children from hazards.
