Why the NSA Banned Furby - The $35 Toy America Thought Was Spying on It

Why the NSA Banned Furby: The $35 Toy America Thought Was Spying on It In December 1998, someone inside the NSA sent an email warning that a $35 Christmas toy might be recording classified conversations. Within weeks, the Furby was banned from NSA offices, and the story was on CNN and the BBC. I pulled the declassified documents to find out what actually happened, and what that little owl-hamster could really do. Sources: NSA FOIA case 113405 (released January 2024, public domain), Furby patents and teardown material, news coverage from 1998 and 1999. Archive footage is shown for commentary and credited on screen. Chapters: 0:00 The NSA email 0:46 My Furby, Gizmo 1:46 Where the Furby came from 10:36 Your turn If you had a Furby, what color was it, what did you name it, and what's the creepiest thing it ever said at night? #Furby #NSA #90sToys