The U.S. federal government could sue Amazon over allegations that the company illegally collected data from children through its smart speakers without parental consent.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is expected to refer a complaint to
the Justice Department, which could file the lawsuit in the coming
weeks.
- The complaint accuses Amazon of
violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, by
failing to gain parental consent before gathering children's data
through its Alexa-powered devices.
- The FTC also accuses Amazon of storing and retaining that data even when users tried to delete it.
- Once
the complaint is referred, the Justice Department would have 45 days to
bring a case. If it doesn't, the FTC could pursue the case on its own.
- Previously,
Amazon has said that the children's edition of its Echo smart speaker
and a related subscription service comply with COPPA.
- The law allows the government to collect civil monetary penalties of up to $50,000 per alleged violation.
