The security services could remotely take over children’s toys and use them to spy on suspects, MPs have been told.
The draft Investigatory Powers Bill would place a legal duty on internet providers to assist in hacking devices.
But it would not be restricted to phones and PCs, a tech industry chief told the Commons science and technology committee.
Antony Walker, of techUK, said anything that connected to the internet could “in theory” be hacked into.
In the future, this could include driverless cars or household appliances connected to the internet – the so-called Internet of Things – said Mr Walker.
He said the Home Office needed to spell out more clearly where it draws the line over what it calls “equipment interference”, highlighting recent concerns about “smart toys” that connect to the internet and have microphones and cameras built-in.
“A range of devices that have been in the news recently, in relation to a hack, are children’s toys, that children can interact with,” he told the committee.
“These are devices that may sit in a child’s bedroom but are accessible.”
“In theory, the manufacturer of those products could be the subject of a warrant to enable equipment interference with those devices.”
“So the potential extent, I think, is something that needs to be carefully considered.”
Source: BBC News
