ALEXA TO DELETE DATA OF KIDS’ VOICES (Penalty of USD 25 M)

US DISTRICT COURT (WASHINGTON) U.S.A vs AMAZON.COM, INC

FACTS

• Amazon has violated Federal Trade Commission Rules of child privacy law;

• Amazon failed to delete users’ information upon requests by parents.

• Deceived parents by keeping for years kids' voice and location data recorded by its popular Alexa voice assistant.

RELEVANT STATUTES

• United States Code;

• Federal Trade Commission Act;

• Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA);

• Commission’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (“COPPA Rule”).

ORDER

• Amazon to pay 25M USD ($25,000,000) as a civil penalty.

• Amazon will be required to delete voice transcripts and geolocation information.

• The proposed order must be approved by federal court in order to come into effect.

• Amazon to overhaul its data deletion practices;

• Amazon to adopt stricter, more transparent privacy measures; and

• To delete certain data collected by its internet-connected digital assistant, which people use for everything from checking the weather to playing games and queueing up.