Furby was a toy created by two Mattel product developers in 1997. The toy was designed to look and act like a virtual pet called Tamagotchi.

The National Security Agency published thousands of 'emails' about the toy. The agency decided to prohibit its employees from taking part in the launch of the toy, citing an alleged Espionage Espionage memo, according to an article in the Washington Post. The article, shamelessly humorous in tone and titled A Toy Story of Hairy Hairy Espionage, explained how, in the face of all the rumors and exaggerations, the agency took action.