Alexa, stop tracking my children’s tech habits
Amazon gadgets ‘using data to sell youngsters more gear’
AMAZON gadgets aimed at children are hoovering up their data to target them with more products to buy, a report has claimed.
Parents are being warned over privacy issues in youngsters’ devices such as the Echo Dot smart speaker and Fire tablet.
Analysis by web browser Mozilla found the tech giant is not only able to collect contact details but also personal information such as photos, videos and their location.
Its annual Privacy Not Included report claims this data is used to provide, among other things, personalised recommendations.
Lead researcher Jen Caltrider said: ‘Are they learning what your kids like so they can try and sell them, or you, more stuff or get them using their product more often?
‘Unfortunately, the answer to that question seems likely to be, yes. Kids deserve privacy too.’
Only two of eight Amazon products aimed at children in the study – the Kindle and Echo Glow – were found to not jeopardise privacy.
Those that did included the £59.99 Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition smart speaker, and two versions of the Amazon Fire HD Kids tablet, for those aged three to seven and six to 12, priced at £139.99 and £199 respectively. The three others are not yet available in the UK.
The report said each toy collected information, including name, date of birth and contact details, with data on photos, video and location, which can be used to advertise products.
But it noted Amazon does not serve third-party adverts based on users’ interests if they are under 13. All three devices also use virtual assistant Alexa, which can record and save questions asked.
The report said parents were able to delete voice recordings through changing privacy settings, but Amazon can keep data on the response to the child’s request, which could help create a user profile.
It said: ‘Amazon could get to know your kid’s personal information pretty well and try to sell them stuff starting at a young age.’ Mozilla said it spent on average 6.5 hours researching products – but it took ‘much longer’ for firms such as Amazon and Facebook.
Miss Caltrider said: ‘Amazon is the most confusing company to research of all, because they are large and have many entities and areas.’
An Amazon spokesman said: ‘We are dedicated to providing customers with transparency and control, making privacy controls incredibly easy to use and understand, and keeping customer information secure.’