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Barbie cam spurs call for boycott

Watch out, Ken – Barbie’s got a spy cam. The new “Video Girl” Barbie from Mattel ($49.99) is embedded with a working video camera capable of taking 30-minute videos, cleverly hidden in the doll’s necklace (Barbie always did know how to accessorize).One Australian psychologist is calling for a boycott, warning the Barbie cam will make it too easy for adults to exploit children and for chi
Mark Lennihan / AP / Today

Watch out, Ken – Barbie’s got a spy cam. The new “Video Girl” Barbie from Mattel ($49.99) is embedded with a working video camera capable of taking 30-minute videos, cleverly hidden in the doll’s necklace (Barbie always did know how to accessorize).

One Australian psychologist is calling for a boycott, warning the Barbie cam will make it too easy for adults to exploit children and for children to upload inappropriate videos to the Internet.

“Boycott this product and to refuse to shop in any store that justifies selling this potentially pornographic tool," clinical psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack urged readers of the Herald Sun newspaper of Melbourne, Australia. She said she has counselled patients in the past who have been filmed without their knowledge. “Must I now also deal with clients who have been traumatized by a misused Barbie?"

Of course, with all the recording devices available these days, from flip cameras to cell phones, will another lens (albeit a pink, sparkly one) really tip the balance against children’s privacy?

Parents, would you buy this Barbie for your child? And beyond Barbie, how do you talk to your kids about privacy and boundaries in the digital age?