Setting the standard: How LEGO ensures its toys are child-proof and cybersecure

An unsung hero of everyday life - standards underpin the safety of just about everything we buy and use - from food or medical devices to toys.

The LEGO Group based in Billund, in central Denmark, tests not only the physical properties of its famous bricks but also the cybersecurity issues with its growing catalogue of connected toys.

"Our mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow," said Christian Wetterberg, the Global Head of Product Safety and Compliance at LEGO Group. "It's very strong in our hearts to secure they get those safe play experiences."

Internal tests are carried out in labs to ensure the mechanical and physical safety of the LEGO elements.

"Since Duplo products are sold to children who are younger than three years there mustn’t be any small parts as they present a choking hazard," Christian Wetterberg told Business Planet.

"So in fact on the assembly line, and [once the] figure has been assembled, the machine goes in and pulls the head with a force that is higher than the legal external requirements."

Controversial voice-activated dolls have shown some of the risks of connected toys - insecure Bluetooth connections led to children’s conversations being recorded and the toys could even be hacked.

So how do Lego deal with these issues?

"For the last few years, we have developed and created connected toys, so we have a set of established safety and compliance processes," explained Tim Taylor-Bowden, the Lead Technology Architect at LEGO Group.

"LEGO has a priority focus on safety for kids, on privacy, so by default we have a lot of practices which make our products safe before we even understand and consider the legislation. For example, our connected toys currently do not collect any data from the