Blackburn & Blumenthal Demand Answers from Toy Maker for Exposing Sensitive Data Involving Children to the Public

Blackburn & Blumenthal Demand Answers from Toy Maker for Exposing Sensitive Data Involving Children to the Public
February 13, 2026
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
– U.S. Senators
Marsha Blackburn
(R-Tenn.) and
Richard Blumenthal
(D-Conn.) sent a
letter
to the Chief Executive Officer of Miko, Inc., launching an investigation into why the company exposed sensitive data involving children through an unsecured, publicly accessible dataset. This dataset
reportedly contained
thousands of responses to children’s questions or instructions from the company’s AI-powered toys, often including names and details of conversations.
The company took down the publicly accessible dataset after receiving the Senators’ letter. Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal also sent letters to
FoloToy
and
Curio Interactive, Inc.
following up on their
previous probe
asking what safeguards these companies have in place to protect kids from sexually explicit, violent, or otherwise inappropriate content.
AI-Powered Toys Enable Collection, Retention, and Monetization of Sensitive Data Involving Children
“As a toy manufacturer, the safety of children must be your highest priority. Toys powered by artificial intelligence raise serious concerns about the data privacy and security of American families, particularly when those products are designed for use by children. These technologies may enable the collection, retention, and monetization of sensitive data from children and their families, raising troubling questions about data mining practices and the use of that information. Children lack the ability to understand or consent to how their data may be stored, shared, or ultimately used without their knowledge. The risks are further exacerbated with chatbot features capable of generating inappropriate, manipulative, or emotionally coercive messages, particularly when those systems encourage prolonged engagement or make it difficult for children to disengage.”
Miko Released Sensitive Data in Publicly Accessible Dataset, Putting Kids at Risk
“Based on your responses, the staff of our offices conducted cybersecurity testing of a Miko 3 robot through a network capture of its communications with Miko, Inc. services. On that preliminary testing, we found that Miko, Inc. had left accessible to the public what appears to be all of the audio responses of the toy, providing anyone the ability to download Miko’s portion of thousands – if not tens of thousands – of discussions with children going back to December 2025. This basic cybersecurity lapse, and the toys’ frequent communications back to Miko, Inc., call into question whether your company adequately protects the privacy and security of children’s and the toy’s data, and whether it engages in the data minimization practices promised in its response to our letter.”
Click
here
to download the full letter to Miko, Inc.
Click
here
to download the full letter to FoloToy.
Click
here
to download the full letter to Curio Interactive, Inc.
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Blackburn & Blumenthal Press Toy Makers on AI-Powered Toys Exposing Children to Inappropriate Content
https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/index.php/2026/2/technology/blackburn-blumenthal-demand-answers-from-toy-maker-for-exposing-sensitive-data-involving-children-to-the-public