Does Echo Dot eavesdrop on kids?
Complaint being filed with FTC says yes.
Amazon’s family-friendly Echo Dot Kids Edition has been accused of listening in on your children and keeping recordings forever, even after parents have tried to delete them.
In a complaint that’s set to be filed with the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday, 19 consumer advocates and privacy groups claim that Amazon is illegally collecting voice recording transcripts and personal information via the youth-oriented version of its voice assistant.
Launched in 2018, the colorful smart speaker responds to voice commands much like the standard Echo device.
The device “only deletes information if a parent explicitly requests deletion by contacting customer service, otherwise, it is retained forever,” according to a draft of the FTC complaint posted on the Echo Kids Privacy website.
The draft cites several other alleged failings, including flawed parental controls, a confusing “maze” of privacy policies and lack of storage transparency. The coalition of privacy advocates argue that Amazon’s practices violate the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA). Amazon said that Alexa and Echo Dot Kids Edition are fully compliant with COPPA.
Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., said in a letter to the FTC that the findings raise “serious concerns about the extent to which the Echo Dot Kids Edition complies” with elements of the law. Sens. Richard Blumenthal, DConn., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., each signed the letter.
“Children are a uniquely vulnerable population. We urge the Commission to take all necessary steps to ensure their privacy,” the senators wrote in the letter.