Amazon will pay $25 million to settle FTC lawsuit over Alexa privacy for kids

Amazon isn't just settling over Ring doorbell privacy concerns. The online retailer has agreed to pay a $25 million settlement over Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allegations it violated child privacy through Alexa. The company allegedly fell afoul of both the FTC Act and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) through its handling of kids' voice data.

While the company said it limited access to voice data and promised to delete info on request, it kept children's recordings and transcripts indefinitely by default until September 2019, according to the FTC. The Commission also says Amazon failed to delete transcripts for a “significant period of time,” and was still holding on to voice info and geolocation data.

In response, Amazon has issued a statement that it ‘disagrees' with the FTC's claims and is settling to put the matter “behind us.” It maintains that Amazon Kids was designed with COPPA in mind, and that parents have easy ways to delete recordings and transcripts on the web. The company also says it will delete child profiles that haven't been used for at least 18 months, addressing an FTC concern that data could linger for years.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.