The EU just raised the bar for toy safety, and the new rules directly touch AI-powered toys. If your child owns — or is about to receive — a connected teddy bear, smart speaker, or chatbot toy, here's what actually changed and what to check before you buy.
What changed in the EU's toy safety rules on August 1, 2026?
The EU Toy Safety Regulation 2025/2509 became fully applicable on August 1, 2026, replacing the older Toy Safety Directive. It introduces stricter assessments for digitally connected toys, including new requirements to evaluate health risks — explicitly including mental health risks — before a toy can be sold in the EU (Intertek). Toys already on the market under the old rules can still be sold until 2030, but new products must comply now. This follows a broader global pattern: US states have also started passing their own AI toy laws, and researchers have been pushing for clearer safety labels more broadly.
Does this mean AI toys are now regulated by the AI Act?
Partly. The new toy regulation doesn't rewrite AI rules itself — it cross-references the EU AI Act, so any toy with a microphone, camera, or AI-driven conversation feature has to clear extra assessments under the AI Act, the Cyber Resilience Act, and the Radio Equipment Directive (MediaLaws). One detail parents should know: after the "Digital Omnibus on AI" agreement in mid-2026, the deadline for classifying AI embedded in toys as "high-risk" was pushed to August 2, 2028 (Technology.org). That's a longer runway than many parents assume — which makes it more important to check a toy's own certifications now, rather than wait for regulation to catch up.
What should parents actually check before buying a connected toy?
Regulation aside, a few concrete checks tell you more than any label will for the next two years:
- Camera or no camera? A microphone-only toy has a much smaller privacy footprint than one with a camera.
- Subscription or one-time purchase? Recurring fees often mean your child's data is the ongoing product.
- Which certifications does it actually list? Look for CE, GDPR compliance, and — for US buyers — COPPA, not just a generic "AI-powered" claim.
- Can you control what it talks about? Parental controls over topics, tone, and language should be verifiable in an app, not just promised in marketing.
Ted, our interactive teddy bear, was built around these exact questions: no camera, a one-time purchase with no subscription, and full EU and US certifications including GDPR and COPPA compliance.
FAQ
Is Ted compliant with the new EU toy safety rules?
Yes. Ted is CE and RED certified, GDPR-compliant, and holds the EU and US toy safety certifications listed on our security page.
When will AI in toys be classified as "high-risk" under the AI Act?
Following the 2026 Digital Omnibus agreement, that classification now applies from August 2, 2028, not 2026 as originally planned.
Does an AI toy need a camera to work?
No. Voice-only toys like Ted use a microphone and speaker, which significantly reduces the data collected compared to camera-equipped devices.
Can toys sold before August 2026 still be sold legally?
Yes, products already compliant with the previous Toy Safety Directive can remain on sale until 2030, but new products must meet the 2025/2509 regulation now.