Security experts have warned that Mattel's latest Wi-Fi enabled Barbie doll can easily be exploited by hackers to spy on children and listen in on household conversations without the owner's knowledge. In addition to having Wi-Fi capabilities, the Hello Barbie doll features speech recognition technology that allows it to listen to a child and respond via voice – like a less-advanced version of digital assistants such as Cortana and Siri. Mattel says the toy "listens and remembers the user's likes and dislikes, giving everyone their own unique experience."

The conversations are recorded and stored on the servers of ToyTalk, the company behind the technology. There's even an option for parents to upload and share the conversations online. Security researcher Matt Jakubowski discovered that when connected to a Wi-Fi network the doll was vulnerable to hackers. He was easily able to access the doll's account information, system information, stored audio files and microphone.