US regulators fine Amazon $25 million over Alexa’s child privacy issues

Amazon has agreed to pay a $25 million settlement to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over allegations of violating child privacy through Alexa. The company has been accused of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by retaining sensitive information about children, such as their exact location and voice recordings, for several years.

The COPPA requires online services targeting children under 13 to get parental permission before collecting the child’s personal information. The law also allows parents to request the deletion of their child’s data.

The company had initially promised to delete voice data upon request and limit access to it. However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) discovered that until September 2019, Amazon kept children’s recordings and transcripts indefinitely.