I bought my kids Spacetalk watches because I wanted them to be safe.
Not safe from the internet in general—safe from social media specifically. Safe from apps they’re too young for. Safe from strangers sliding into DMs. Safe from accidentally stumbling into corners of the internet no eight-year-old should see.
The Spacetalk pitch was perfect for parents like me: a way to stay in touch with your kids without handing them a smartphone. A walled garden I chose deliberately because the walls were the point. GPS tracking so I know they got to school. Calls to approved contacts only. No social media. No app store. No internet browser.
Grandies and aunties and uncles could be added as safe contacts without needing smartphones themselves. Perfect for my mum, who still uses a flip phone and has zero interest in downloading apps.
We bought two Spacetalk watches. Set them up. Added safe contacts. Everything worked exactly as promised.
Then one day: “App update required.”
Okay, I thought. Updates happen. No problem.
Except it was a problem. A massive one.
The Update Nobody Asked For
The November 2024 app update wasn’t a minor improvement. It was a complete overhaul. Whole new interface. New features we didn’t need. And a shiny new thing called “Spaces” that fundamentally changed how the entire system worked.
Before the update: I could add safe contacts to my kids’ watches. Grandparents, aunties, uncles, family friends. They’d get calls from the watch. They could call the watch. Simple. Worked perfectly.
After the update: Everyone—everyone—who wanted to be a contact for the watch now had to download the Spacetalk app. No app? No contact. My elderly mother without a smartphone? Suddenly couldn’t be an emergency contact for her grandchildren.
Oh, and more app users meant higher subscription costs. Because of course it did.
The parent groups exploded. Hundreds of furious customers. Watches that stopped working entirely. Connection issues. Syncing problems. Kids unable to reach their parents. Parents unable to reach their kids. The exact opposite of the safety we’d paid for.
We Howled. They Didn’t Listen.
Parents complained. Loudly. We contacted customer support (email only—no phone number, naturally). We left reviews. We flooded their social media.
One Facebook user asked if the update was “created by the BoM website designers”—a reference to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology website redesign disaster. That’s how bad it was.
From the customer complaints:
“The new Spacetalk app update requires ALL CONTACTS to download the app just so they can communicate with the watch owner! Why on earth is everyone required to download an app?!?!?”
“This doesn’t even cover the half of what we are experiencing as Spacetalk customers. Spacetalk have repeatedly failed to respond to privacy and safety concerns raised by the new app, which now requires contacts to download the app – so my elderly mother who does not have a smart phone can no longer be my son’s emergency contact.”
“Would give a zero if I could. Worked perfectly for 2 years and since the update this week neither watch works, no customer service and no way to communicate with my children. Not on!”
We contacted the CEO. We questioned the strategy. We pointed out that this completely undermined the product’s core value proposition.
They. Did. Not. Listen.
The CEO Acknowledged the Problems
At the same AGM where the data monetisation strategy was revealed, CEO Simon Crowther did acknowledge the app update issues:
“We undertook an ambitious re platforming of our business last weekend, which was essential to support our growth plans… This update to being an app and software led business did not go as smoothly as we expected and I would like to apologise for the inconvenience and problems our watch customers have experienced. My team is working hard to resolve the remaining issues, and we are pushing fixes daily and for the majority of watch customers normal service is resuming.”
He went on to explain that the old platform couldn’t support new features like content filtering for social media bans, and that the re-platforming was necessary for their strategic direction.
Fair enough. Complex technical migrations are genuinely difficult. I understand that.
What’s harder to reconcile is the business model shift. The app update wasn’t just about better features—it was about creating the infrastructure to collect and monetise family data at scale. And that’s a fundamentally different value proposition than what we signed up for.
The AGM Presentation Revealed the Strategy
At the same November 2025 Annual General Meeting, the CEO presented Spacetalk’s growth strategy to shareholders. And there it was, in the investor presentation:
“The Spacetalk App has a strong customer value proposition which drives a strong data lead value proposition for Telco’s.”
The presentation slide was even more explicit. Their strategy: “Strong consumer value proposition drives strong data led telco value proposition.”
The data they’re capturing and selling to telcos includes:
- Location of customers
- Family construct (who’s in your family, how you’re connected)
- Connections and trusted contacts
- Names and ages
- Behaviours
- Devices you use
- Which carriers you use
- App usage and engagement patterns
The CEO’s exact words: “The platform captures a broad range of data and insights entirely relevant to a Telco’s business… the list is long and all of it is valuable to a Telco.”
There it was. We weren’t the customer anymore. We were the product.
The walled garden we’d chosen to protect our children had turned into a data harvesting operation.
The Ombudsman Complaints and Eventual Response
Parents were furious. Not just about the broken functionality—about the fundamental breach of trust. We’d chosen Spacetalk specifically because it wasn’t a data-harvesting social media platform. We wanted our kids safe from exactly this kind of surveillance capitalism.
Complaints flooded in. Customer support tickets. Social media comments. Reviews. And eventually, formal complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
To Spacetalk’s credit, they did respond. After months of customer feedback and complaints, they restored the ability to add contacts who aren’t app users as safe contacts. That was critical—and it’s why we’re still customers.
But the damage to trust was done. And the strategic direction revealed in their AGM presentation makes it clear where the company is heading: from a hardware company that sells safety devices to a data company that monetises family information.
Many customers are still reporting ongoing issues with the app—syncing problems, connection reliability, functionality that worked before the update but doesn’t work consistently now. I personally haven’t experienced major issues since those initial weeks after the update, but the parent groups on Facebook tell a different story for many families.
The Irony (And It’s Not Lost on Me)
Here’s what’s interesting about this whole situation: I wanted a walled garden. I chose it deliberately. The walls were the entire point.
In most of my work, I’m the person helping businesses escape walled gardens. I consult with organisations trapped in proprietary platforms that control their data, dictate their pricing, and hold them hostage with lock-in. I help them migrate to systems they actually own and control.
But with my kids’ safety devices? I specifically chose the walled garden. Because sometimes the restrictions are the feature, not the bug. And Spacetalk makes genuinely good hardware—durable watches, reliable GPS, decent battery life, features that work well for keeping kids safe without giving them full internet access.
The product itself isn’t the problem. It’s the shift in what the product is actually for.
Spacetalk didn’t change from making good watches to making bad watches. They changed from selling watches to families to harvesting family data for telcos. The watch is now the data collection device that enables the real business model.
And because we’re in their ecosystem—because we’ve bought the hardware, paid for subscriptions, integrated this into our family’s safety routines—we’re part of that data product whether we like it or not.
This Is Exactly What Happens to Businesses Too
Everything I’m describing with Spacetalk? This exact pattern plays out with business software constantly.
A company chooses a platform for specific, good reasons. Maybe it’s the features. Maybe it’s the integration. Maybe it’s the security model. Whatever the reason, they commit.
They build their processes around it. They train their team on it. They integrate it with other systems. They accumulate years of data in it.
Then the platform changes the deal.
Pricing goes up 60% overnight. Features you relied on get moved to higher tiers. The roadmap shifts away from what you need. Or—like Spacetalk—the business model pivots entirely and you discover you’re not the customer, you’re the product being sold to someone else.
And you’re stuck. Because switching costs are enormous. Because your data is trapped in their format. Because your team knows this system. Because changing would mean rebuilding everything.
That’s the walled garden trap. And it doesn’t matter if you chose the garden deliberately or drifted into it accidentally—once you’re locked in, the platform controls your options.
The Difference Between Choosing Walls and Being Trapped Behind Them
Let me be clear: sometimes walled gardens are the right choice. Sometimes you want restrictions. Sometimes the control is valuable.
For my kids’ safety devices? Absolutely. I wanted limited functionality. I wanted restricted access. I wanted parental controls that actually controlled things.
For business systems? Sometimes yes. If you’re in a highly regulated industry and a compliant platform handles everything, that might be worth the trade-offs.
The problem isn’t choosing a walled garden. The problem is when the garden’s owner changes the rules without your consent and you can’t leave.
With my kids’ watches: Spacetalk can force app requirements, break functionality with updates, pivot their business model to data sales—and we’re stuck because the watches are hardware we’ve paid for, our kids depend on them for safety, and switching to another system means buying all new hardware and starting over.
With business systems: A platform can increase pricing, sunset features, change their data model, pivot their focus—and you’re stuck because you’ve built processes around their system, trained your team on their workflows, and accumulated years of data in their format.
In both cases, you chose the garden. But you didn’t choose to be trapped.
What I Wish I’d Known Before We Bought
If I could go back and have this conversation with myself two years ago, here’s what I’d say:
The walled garden is controlled by someone else. You don’t make the rules. They do. And they can change those rules whenever they want, for whatever reason serves their business model—not yours.
Read the AGM presentations, not just the marketing. Spacetalk’s marketing still talks about child safety and peace of mind. Their AGM presentation talks about data monetisation and telco partnerships. Those are very different businesses.
Understand what “app update required” actually means. It doesn’t mean “minor improvements.” It can mean “complete overhaul of functionality that breaks everything you relied on.”
Look for exit paths before you need them. What happens if you want to switch? Can you export your data? What’s the cost of moving? What breaks when you leave?
Companies pivot. Count on it. The business model that makes sense today might not be the business model that makes sense in two years. When that happens, are you protected or are you trapped?
What Businesses Can Learn From My Spacetalk Disaster
I work with businesses facing exactly this situation. Not with kids’ smartwatches—with CRM platforms, project management tools, membership systems, accounting software, marketing automation, you name it.
The pattern is always the same:
- Company chooses platform for good reasons
- Platform works well initially
- Company builds dependencies—processes, integrations, data, training
- Platform changes the deal—pricing, features, business model, whatever
- Company discovers they’re trapped—exit costs are prohibitive
- Platform knows they’re trapped—and prices accordingly
Sound familiar? It should. It’s the exact same pattern whether we’re talking about my kids’ watches or your business systems.
Ask These Questions Before You Commit
Who owns the data? Can you export everything in a usable format? Or is your data trapped in their proprietary structure?
What’s the business model? Are they selling you software, or are they selling your data to someone else? Read the privacy policy. Read the terms of service. Read the investor presentations if they’re public.
What happens if they pivot? If the company changes direction, gets acquired, or decides to focus on enterprise instead of small business (or vice versa), what happens to your functionality?
What’s your exit strategy? Not “if” you leave—what’s the process for when you leave? What breaks? What’s portable? What gets rebuilt?
Are you building on rented land? If the platform disappeared tomorrow, do you lose your digital infrastructure or just your hosting provider?
What’s the switching cost? Not just money—time, team disruption, lost productivity, data migration, retraining. When you add it all up, how trapped are you?
The Questions I’m Asking Myself Now
My kids still wear their Spacetalk watches. For now. Because switching costs are real—new hardware, new setup, new routines, explaining to kids why their safety device is changing.
But I’m watching. And I’m asking questions I should have asked two years ago:
What’s their next pivot? If they’re willing to fundamentally change their app to enable data sales to telcos, what’s the next business model shift?
How much more will they charge? They’ve already moved features behind subscription paywalls. What’s next? What functionality that’s currently included gets moved to premium tiers?
What data are they actually collecting? The AGM presentation lists location, family construct, behaviours, connections. What else? What’s not listed? What’s in the fine print of the privacy policy nobody reads?
What’s my exit plan? What are the alternatives? What would switching actually involve? At what point do the costs of staying exceed the costs of leaving?
These are exactly the questions I help businesses ask about their software platforms. It’s surreal to be asking them about my kids’ watches.
When Walled Gardens Are Worth It (And When They’re Not)
I’m not arguing that walled gardens are always bad. Sometimes the restrictions are valuable. Sometimes the control is exactly what you need.
A walled garden is worth it when:
- The restrictions solve a real problem (like keeping kids off social media)
- You understand what you’re giving up in exchange
- The provider’s business model aligns with your needs
- You have realistic exit options if things change
- The walls protect you and give you what you need
A walled garden becomes a trap when:
- The provider can change the rules unilaterally
- Your data is stuck in their format
- Exit costs are prohibitively high
- The provider’s business model shifts away from serving you
- You discover you’re the product, not the customer
With Spacetalk, we crossed that line from “worth it” to “trapped” the moment they decided data monetisation was their growth strategy.
The Business Lesson in a Kids’ Smartwatch Disaster
Here’s what this experience has reinforced for me, both as a parent and as someone who helps businesses with their digital infrastructure:
Platform dependency is a business risk. Whether it’s a kids’ watch or a CRM system, when someone else controls your critical infrastructure, they control your options.
Business model matters more than features. Spacetalk’s features are fine. Their business model—selling family data to telcos—is the problem. Same with any platform. How do they make money? Are you the customer or the product?
Trust is easy to lose and impossible to rebuild. Spacetalk broke trust with that app update. Even though they eventually backtracked on some changes, the damage is permanent. Parents know what their priorities really are now.
Exit strategies aren’t pessimistic—they’re pragmatic. Knowing how you’d leave doesn’t mean you’re planning to leave. It means you’re not trapped. That’s not negativity, that’s business sense.
Own your critical infrastructure when you can. Sometimes you can’t. Sometimes the walled garden is the right choice. But when you can own your infrastructure—your domain, your data, your systems—do it. Because platforms change, and ownership protects you.
What I’m Doing Differently Now
This experience with Spacetalk has changed how I evaluate everything—both for my family and for my business.
For my family: I’m actively researching alternatives. What other kids’ safety devices exist? Which ones have better data practices? Which ones don’t require trapping elderly relatives into app ecosystems? What would switching actually cost?
For my business: I’m double-checking that I practise what I preach. Do my clients own their domains? Check. Can they export their data? Check. Are they locked into my services or do they have genuine portability? Check. Am I building dependencies that trap them or partnerships that empower them?
For my consulting work: When I’m helping businesses evaluate systems architecture, I’m even more aggressive about questioning business models, data ownership, and exit strategies. Because I’ve seen what happens when a trusted platform pivots away from you.
The Questions You Should Be Asking Right Now
If you’re running a business and you’re relying on platforms you don’t control, ask yourself:
If this platform doubled their prices tomorrow, could you leave? If the answer is no, you’re trapped. What would it cost to build exit options now, while you’re not desperate?
Do you understand their business model? How do they make money? Is it by serving you, or by selling your data? Are you the customer or the product?
What data can you actually export? Not just “export functionality exists”—can you get your data in a format you can actually use somewhere else? Have you tested it?
What happens if they get acquired? Or pivot their focus? Or decide your segment isn’t profitable enough? Do you have protections or are you just hoping for the best?
Are you building on your own foundation or someone else’s land? If the platform disappeared tomorrow, what disappears with it?
Why This Matters Beyond One Family’s Smartwatches
I know this article started as a rant about kids’ watches. But it’s not really about smartwatches at all.
It’s about what happens when you trust a platform to serve your needs, and they decide serving someone else’s needs is more profitable.
It’s about the moment you realise you’re locked in—and that the lock was designed deliberately.
It’s about the difference between choosing restrictions (which can be smart) and being trapped by them (which is dangerous).
And it’s about the fact that this pattern—choose platform, build dependency, platform changes deal, discover you’re trapped—plays out constantly in business software, consumer products, family safety devices, you name it.
Spacetalk is just one example. But the lesson applies everywhere: when you don’t own your infrastructure, someone else controls your options.
Sometimes that’s a worthwhile trade-off. Sometimes the walled garden is worth living in.
But you’d better be damn sure the garden’s owner has your interests at heart. Because the moment their priorities shift, you’re the one who’s stuck.
What Happens Next
For us personally? We’re giving Spacetalk until the subscription renewal. If things aren’t significantly better—if trust isn’t rebuilt, if functionality isn’t restored, if the data harvesting doesn’t stop—we’re switching. Even if it means buying new hardware. Even if it means disrupting our routines. Because staying in a system that’s fundamentally misaligned with our values isn’t worth the convenience.
For my work? This experience has reinforced everything I tell clients about platform dependency and data ownership. I’ll keep helping businesses escape walled gardens that have turned into traps. I’ll keep advocating for infrastructure you own, data you control, and systems built for your needs—not someone else’s growth strategy.
And for anyone reading this who’s stuck in a similar situation—whether with a kids’ safety device or a business platform or any other system where someone else holds the keys—you’re not imagining it. The trap is real. The bait-and-switch is real. The feeling of betrayal is justified.
You chose the garden for good reasons. But you didn’t sign up to be the product.
Are We Still Using Spacetalk? Yes. Here’s Why.
Look, I’d be lying if I said we’d already switched to something else. We’re still using the Spacetalk watches.
Why? Because the hardware is genuinely good. The watches are durable. The GPS tracking works reliably. The battery life is solid. The kids like wearing them. The core functionality—calling approved contacts, location tracking, emergency features—works well.
And critically, after the customer backlash and ombudsman complaints, Spacetalk did restore the ability to have trusted contacts without requiring those contacts to download the app. My mum can be an emergency contact for her grandchildren without needing a smartphone. That was our dealbreaker, and they fixed it.
I also want to be clear: our experience since those initial weeks after the update has been fine. Our watches work. We haven’t had the ongoing syncing or connection issues that many other families report in the parent groups on Facebook. Your mileage may vary, but our personal technical experience has been stable.
So why am I writing this article if we’re still using the product?
Because we’re using it with eyes wide open now. We know we’re the cow in the paddock. We know our family’s data—location, connections, behaviours, devices, all of it—is being collected and packaged for sale to telcos. We know that Spacetalk’s strategic direction is to become a data company that happens to make watches, rather than a watch company that happens to collect data.
That’s not the value proposition we signed up for. But it’s the reality we’re living with.
We’re making a conscious trade-off: the convenience and functionality of watches that work well, versus the knowledge that we’re part of someone else’s data product. That’s not a comfortable position. But it’s an informed one.
And we’re actively monitoring alternatives. Because the moment something better comes along—or the moment Spacetalk makes another move that crosses our line—we’re ready to switch.
The difference between being trapped and making a strategic choice? Having genuine exit options and using a product with full awareness of what you’re accepting.
We’re not trapped anymore. We’re choosing to stay. For now. With complete awareness that we’re the product, not just the customer.
And that’s a fundamentally different position from where we were a year ago, when we thought we were just buying safety devices for our kids.
