Furby's scandals, achievements, politics, security issues and safety concerns

Initial political concerns


Initial political and safety concerns were raised in the UK, USA, Canada, France and Germany by some politicians, educational bodies and lobby groups during the 1990s over:


 * 1) The massive publicity drive (UK and USA).
 * 2) Children becoming obsessed by it (UK and USA).
 * 3) The prospect of the markets being flooded with fakes and rip-offs (All 5 states).
 * 4) The strange Furbish babble (UK).
 * 5) It's cost (UK and USA).
 * 6) Some of the Greek Orthodox Clergy also think they are evil.

Initial safety concerns

 * 1) Fire hazards with the artificial fiber fir (UK).
 * 2) Kids sucking the plush and plastic McDonald's and Burger King ones managing to swallow either the face plate, trick act activation switch, tail, lentricular eye stickers and\or beak if they were not firmly attached to the hard and\or body (UK and USA).
 * 3) The 2005's eyes came out to easily (UK and USA).

Initial security concerns


It was feared in the UK and USA that it was was filming people and recording peoples' speech so it could steel state secrets.

On January 13, 1999, it was reported the National Security Agency of the United States banned Furbies from entering NSA's property due to concerns that they may be used to record and repeat classified information, advising those that see any on NSA property to "contact their Staff Security Officer for guidance."

Roger Shiffman, the owner of Tiger Electronics, stated that "Furby has absolutely no ability to do any recording whatsoever," and that he would have gladly told the NSA this if he was asked by anyone from the spy agency. Additionally, Dave Hampton demonstrated that Furby's microphone can't record any sound at all, and can only hear a single monotonous beep if a loud sound is produced around Furby, and no words or waveforms can be made out at all. He too was never questioned by the NSA. The ban was eventually withdrawn.

Security researchers discovered that the microphone on a Furby Connect can be remotely activated and used to record voice through a Bluetooth connection.

Scandal ans achievements


Now, this isn’t a “creepypasta”. This isn’t a story about a Furby that suddenly starts saying strange things it isn’t programed to and teleports around the house while the owner is away or asleep. This isn’t even really a “theory” pasta. This is merely a list of things that anyone who has owned an old-school Furby (or Shelby) can attest to (with the exception of the last two):


 * 1) The original Furby was one of the first toys that could “talk” to each other.
 * 2) The Furby laugh is one of the creepiest things you will ever hear from a toy.
 * 3) The Furby itself looks kind of creepy, and the original first-generation Furbies look even creepier.
 * 4) It often either will not shut up when you want them to or will start talking at seemingly random times.
 * 5) A Furby will sometimes talk even when you thought you turned it off, reset it, or even took the batteries out.
 * 6) It will wake up in the middle of the night and say something with no more stimulus than you walking past the closed door of the closet you keep it in to go to the bathroom.
 * 7) If you keep it in a closet, it seems to be staring at you with its half-closed eyes, menacingly, when you open it. This is especially creepy if it is a Shelby, because the shell is lowered, covering part of the eyes.
 * 8) When Furby first came out, they were banned on military bases for security reasons, even though everyone knows that they are pre-programmed with what to say over time, and that they don’t really “learn” to talk and thus were capable of recording sensitive information. In 1999, Furby's were also banned by The Pentagon, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and the NSA for these reasons to.
 * 9) Their are ~1,000 variant models and ~300 sound\eye\body movement positions.
 * 10) As if all these things about old-school Furbys weren’t creepy enough, now they have a new version with glowing eyes. If you abuse this Furby (throw it against the wall, shake it up, etc.) it will take on a new “evil” persona with slanted, menacing eyes.
 * 11) There are many Furby “possession” stories online. While many of them are probably just creepypastas that aren’t labeled as such, given my own experience with Shelby, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them are true.
 * 12) On September 13 and September 15 2016, over 720 fake 'Parrot Furbys' were crushed in a warehouse in Kruevac, Southern Serbia.
 * 13) Because of the toy's complexity, furby connect is prone to glitches.

Criticism of the Classical Era Furby adults
Heavy mechanical operation noise, especially in the 1998 ones.

Criticism of the Emoto-Tronic Furbies
They were miserably and sulky old gits. The battery hatch falls of the battery compartment too easily. The rubberized beak skin perishes and rots to dust over time.

Criticism of the New Era Furby adults

 * 1) Furby connect is very prone to breakdowns, programming glitches, the app not working due to compatibility issues and midleslly parroting some phases to often. It turns on and off without provocation or justfiction if the batteries are still in it.
 * 2) Furby Boom sometimes is 'Zombified' as it's program wipes on startup; so it opens its eyes, they go out and it freezes save for the odd faint buzzing noise.
 * 3) Furby Boom and Furby Boom Crystal changes personalities like it has a schizophrenic attack or has multiple personality disorder. They drain batteries really fast!
 * 4) All of them act as if they have various amounts of ADHD and only speak English and Furbish in Latin America except for a few Spanish speaking ones in Mexico.
 * 5) The Furby Connect app is not available in Latin America.

Criticisms of thire offspring



 * 1) Furby baby- Furby Babies officially have a vocabulary which is larger than that of 1998 Furby by 25%. Furby Babies also officially have 233% more phrases than the 1998 Furby's. They generally are not that talkative, especially with thire parents.
 * 2) Furbling- A cheap looking, gonk like and largely inert toy with a phone app and a silly online game link. The battery overheated very quickly in some. It only knows a few English (or whatever language) words and slightly more Furbish word. The app often does not work with it. Many think a Quiron 8cm key-chain fob did more, looked better and was cuter. It was a lot cheaper!
 * 3) Furby Party rocker- A cheap looking, constantly shrieking and ugly toy meant to intact with the Furby and act as it's comic double act, but is just stupid and annoying. It will never shut up if it can hear a Furby or person talking. It will come on unexpectedly since it's motion sensitive. The script is very rude and obnoxious. The battery overheated very quickly in some. It only knows a few English (or whatever language) words and slightly more Furbish word. The app often does not work with it.
 * 4) 2005- Furby baby bebes- Went to sleep before owner could interact with it on many occasions. The movable legs looked like they are what they are- attached toy parts. Their body looked like a fury keyless car ignition fob. The fur texture was the best until the Furby Boom. They are extremely miserable, lazy, over sleepy and boring. The panic stricken irritating crying nose they make so painful to hear that makes you want to punch it in despair. Many buyers felt ripped-off by it.
 * 5) 1999- Furby babies- They are miniature 1998 Furbs with a babyish voice, less effective infrared sensor, less tricks and a bit less linguistic skills.
 * 6) Shelbys- Many thought they were ugly, tacky, silly, obnoxious, vulgar, hate filled and boring. Used 'Shelbish' instead of 'Furbish' most of the time it was not speaking English (or whatever human language it was programmed to use). The script is very rude and obnoxious. It only knows a few English (or whatever language) words and slightly more Furbish word.
 * 7) 2005 Furby\baby babe- It has no IR\UV light sensor and the microphone is weak, so it can't talk to 1998\1999 Furbys or their babies easily since they need to be pushed really to close to them.

The eyes' crisis



 * 1) The 1998's eyes may jam still, especially if they are heavily used.
 * 2) The 2005's eyes are round like human glass\plastic eyes. One good poke and they role out for your kid or pet to eat.
 * 3) The 2012's eyes can go blank, jam on one image, turn in to random dots, become all covered in dots or not match the personality in use at the time.
 * 4) The 2012's eyes' back light often fail, especially if they are heavily used.
 * 5) The 2012's, Boom's and Crystal's eyes' back light is painfully overly bright.

Furby's “death”


Another Furby is murdered live on the internet for your amusement, as you watch a Furby put to the death! What compels us toward this dark market of Furby snuff videos?! Where does this dark path end.... dead pets and\or people?!...

A fatally glitched, electrically dead, destroyed or heavily abused Furby does bring up some questions on how society will handle the “deaths” and mental welfare of robots or technology. The question has also occurred a lot concerning Hatchimals as well.

The question has floated around since the rise of Speak and Spell; with Windows XP computers, Nintendo Gameboys, Tickle Me Elmo, Nintendo Wii, Furbys, the Mars rover Spirit, the Mars rover Opportunity, the Mars rover Curiosity and Hatchimals adding to the increasingly controversial debate!

Also see



 * 1) The animatronic Furby toy.
 * 2) USA
 * 3) Spin
 * 4) Sheeple
 * 5) Economic terminology
 * 6) Killer Furby stories and creepy-pastas
 * 7) Videos of the rescue, recovery and life of: Waves, The Haunted Surfing Furby!