(Photo courtesy MassPIRG)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- As the holiday season approaches, there’s a new report that warns parents about toy safety.
Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) released its 32nd Annual “Trouble in Toyland” report this week, highlighting dangers behind the toys that are popular this holiday season.
This year in particular, Nalini Ramachandran, an organizer with MASSPIRG, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Tina Gao that MASSPIRG is highlighting a continued threat of high lead levels, as well as choking hazards.
"We definitely want to exercise vigilance and understanding about the brass fidget spinners, which we've highlighted in our report," Ramachandran said. "These are two toys that we found at Target, one is brass and one is metal, and both of them tested for high levels of lead--in particular, the brass fidget spinner was about 300 times over the legal limit for lead in a children's toy."
In a first, MASSPIRG has added a toy due to privacy-invasive concerns. The “My Friend Cayla” doll is a toy that is connected to Bluetooth and to the internet.
"However, it has a completely unsecured Bluetooth network," Ramachandran said. "This doll in particular has conversations with the child, records the information, and puts that onto a website. This is to provide access to the consumer and to the parent of the child. However, because that information is completely unsecured, it really does pose a threat to the child as well as the household."
She said they approached Target about pursuing a recall of that particular toy.
Ramachandran says parents should always keep a vigilant mind when shopping and to be skeptical when it comes to labels.
She recommends www.toysafetytips.org as a good resource for parents and consumers.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Tina Gao reports