A New York reporter was unknowingly stalked by a smartwatch designed for children during his commute, highlighting serious security flaws in the wearable tech industry.

The lavender and pink plastic watch, produced by an obscure Chinese manufacturer, transmitted its location via Wi-Fi networks to a researcher who could monitor the reporter's every move with ease. The watch’s camera and microphone were also hijacked, capturing images and audio without the wearer’s knowledge.

Despite the gadget’s questionable security, it was just one in a worrying trend of GPS-enabled devices sharing similar vulnerabilities. More than 30 other brands of smartwatches and car trackers use the same backend servers as this child’s watch, potentially exposing millions of users to unauthorized tracking.

The researchers involved at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference plan to present their findings on supply chain and security issues in over 70 GPS-enabled devices. They warn that these flaws could allow hackers to disable or unlock cars, replace emergency contacts, and even eavesdrop silently – all while the gadgets appear entirely normal.

The companies behind these tracking technologies claim to have fixed vulnerabilities, but the researchers say their techniques still work on some systems. Millions of children's smartwatches remain at risk until fully addressed.