PARENTS have been warned their kids’ Christmas toys could be targeted by hackers.

Among the gifts that may be hit is a smart toy called ‘Dino’ which is able to learn answers to questions and read bedtime stories.

But the Mozilla Foundation, which campaigns for better internet accessibility and safety, has warned about the toy made by CogniToys as well as others because they say they do not use sufficient encryption to safeguard against hackers.

The not-for-profit foundation was also critical of CogniToys’ privacy policy which included in the small print that, when a child plays with the toy it automatically collects information about a child’s “likes, dislikes, interests and other educational metrics," the Mail on Sunday has reported.

The toy which is aimed at children as young as five and retails for £90, can also collect a kid’s name, date of birth and gender.

The company’s website says the toy, which was launched in 2016, was named in Time Magazine’s “Best Inventions” list and won the “Best Use of AI in Education” in the AI Awards.

It adds: “The CogniToys Dino is a screen-free, connected smart toy that talks, listens, learns and laughs alongside kids.

“Dinos aren't ‘digital assistants’ like Siri or Alexa, they are friends who answer questions, tell stories, practice spelling, play games and even lead guided meditations - using technology to create positive experiences with real world impact.”

Researchers at Mozilla tested 70 connected toys, games as well as other gadgets for its second annual ‘Privacy Not Included’ test ahead of Black Friday and the Christmas shopping stampede.

They looked at a number of areas like can the device spy on its owners and how is it controlled or secured.

Mozilla also looked at areas such as security requirements like encryption and strong passwords.

Researchers branded the Fredi baby monitor as “super creepy” because they said someone could remotely connect to it and use its built in camera without authorisation.

Items categorised as “very creepy” – ones said to be able to gain a high level of insight into your life – included Amazon devices Echo and Cloud Cam and Google Home.

Other items in the “very creepy” category included the Furbo Dog Camera, Petcube Play and Petchatz HD.

The Sun Online has contacted CogniToys for comment.