Controversy over Amazon's interference in the privacy of children
Amazon's abusive practices prompted a complaint from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the findings of which we learned about in late May. The e-commerce giant reportedly kept sensitive information collected through its Alexa devices from minors, such as voice and location files, for long periods of time and, as all this data is valuable for improving algorithms, used this information for its own benefit. In addition, it lengthened the deadlines to delete them and assured on several occasions, without ever keeping its promise, that options to access and manage them would be activated.??
For these actions, the FTC charged Amazon with violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA), which sets forth a series of requirements that must be met by operators of websites, online services and applications directed at children under 13, as well as those who have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information from children. COPPA regulates how parental consent must be obtained before storing, using or disclosing a child's personal information, the right of parents to review and delete information, how data security and confidentiality measures must be activated or what are the limitations on the filing of information relating to these minors.??
As a result of the agreement reached by Amazon and the FTC, according to the official statement of the latter, the company agrees to pay a fine of 25 million dollars (about 23'4 million euros), not to use the geolocation or voice information of children for the creation or improvement of its products, to remove inactive Alexa accounts of minors, to notify users about the conclusions of this legal process, not to misrepresent its privacy policies related to children's geolocation and voice information and to the creation of a specific privacy program related to location information.??
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Respect for privacy must be a priority in this data-driven society in which we live. We have an obligation to fight to protect our privacy and especially our children’s. No company, no matter how big and powerful, should be oblivious to these values and go unpunished for violating these basic rights.?