AI toys with disturbing conversations and unsafe or counterfeit online toys are dangerous toys parents need to reject while holiday shopping

Each year, the U.S.PIRG Education Fund, a consumer group, tests toys prior to the holiday season to let parents know problems they may encounter.

For the group’s 40^th “Trouble in Toyland,” it looked at:

Four toys that contain A.I. chatbots that interact with children. The group found some of these toys will talk in-depth about sexually explicit topics, will offer advice on where a child can find matches or knives, act dismayed when you say you have to leave, and have limited or no parental controls. It also looked at privacy concerns because these toys can record a child’s voice and collect other sensitive data, by methods such as facial recognition scans.
Toys that contain toxics such as lead and phthalates, which can be harmful to children.
Counterfeit toys that are illegal and probably weren’t tested for safety, including fake Labubu dolls that have been confiscated by the thousands this year.
Water beads, which have injured thousands of children over the years. They will finally have some restrictions when marketed as toys.
Recalled toys, which the group’s researchers bought again this year, even though it’s illegal for anyone to sell them.
Toys that contain button cell batteries or high-powered magnets, both which can be deadly if swallowed.

In U.S.PIRG testing of AI toys, it found one especially problematic one – a teddy bear from the company FoloToy with insufficient guardrails that allowed the toy to engage in sexually explicit conversations with the group’s researchers.

After U.S.PIRG released its report, FoloToy, which produced the teddy bear AI toy, said it’s temporarily suspended sales of all FoloToy products, and the company is carrying out a company-wide, safety audit across all products.

Another consumer group, the World Against Toys Causing Harm, or W.A.T.C.H., is also calling attention to toy safety with its 53rd annual nominees of the “10 Worst Toys” for 2025.

The list reminds parents of the potential hidden hazards posed by many toys marketed for children. W.A.T.C.H. urges parents and caregivers to stay vigilant about toy safety, so potentially dangerous items are kept away from children.

Plush toys that pose suffocation risks, toys with small parts that present choking hazards, and projectile toys that could cause eye injuries are potential hazards, Joan E. Siff, president of W.A.T.C.H., and James A. Swartz, director of W.A.T.C.H., said in a statement.

W.A.T.C.H.’S 2025 nominees for the “10 Worst Toys” list are: