Does the Amazon Kids Echo Violate Privacy Laws?

History of the Amazon Kids Echo Lawsuit

A class action investigation was launched due to an FTC complaint initiated by many privacy advocates, arguing that the Amazon Echo Kids Edition violates the regulations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. As the use of digital voice assistance has increased, it has raised important considerations and privacy concerns for those purchasing these items.

According to the FTC complaint, the Echo Dot Kids Edition is often used in consumers’ homes and in children’s bedrooms. This device allegedly can collect a great deal of personal information from children such as how they play, how they learn and how they acquire new information.

These devices might be used by the children or the kids to ask questions that they otherwise would have asked human beings and these conversations can be transcribed by Amazon and stored forever in the cloud.

How does the Amazon Kids Echo work?

The Echo Dot is a device promoted for use with children that is a voice-controlled smart speaker. It contains microphones that can listen passively, a speaker, a light up ring on the top edge and several buttons.

Like all Echo devices, this one is voice activated. When a certain awake word is presented to the device, it begins recording the user’s voice and uploading the recording to the Alexa cloud.

These digital devices make it easy for people to pull up playlists, add items to their Amazon shopping cart, and complete many other activities. Of course, in sharing information with a voice-activated device, this also means that information about that person can be stored in the cloud.

Adults can make a decision about whether or not they want their details shared or stored, but the lawsuit regarding kid’s privacy says that children shouldn’t have their privacy violated in that way.

What Role Does the COPPA Law Play?

Amazon has been accused in the complaint of illegally keeping information from conversations with children, even once parents have made an effort to delete it. One of the few privacy laws in the United States today is the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

This law mandates certain privacy requirements for services and websites directed towards children, requiring that a parent’s consent be given before any data for a child under the age of 18 is stored or collected.

Does the Device Collect Sensitive Data?

Despite the fact that Amazon has continued to argue that their Echo Dot Kids Device is a child-friendly version of the Alexa devices, the voice-activated item could store the transcripts of children in the cloud, including sensitive data.

According to advocates who initiated the FTC complaint about child privacy violations, parents even had difficulties discontinuing the practices of the device when they attempted to intervene.

What Kinds of Information Does the Amazon Kids Echo Collect?

The FTC complaint states that Amazon collects sensitive personal details from children including data gleaned from the kids’ reading, viewing, listening and purchasing habits in addition to voice recordings and stores this data indefinitely.

Join an Amazon Echo Dot Kids Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you own an Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition and it is used by a child under 13 years of age, you may qualify to join this Amazon Kids Echo privacy class action lawsuit investigation.

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