Amazon uses Alexa child data to tune voice ID algorithm

Amazon has been fined USD 31 million by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for storing the voice and location data of childen using its Alexa personal assistant in order to help tune its voice recognition algorithm. 

The ruling orders Amazon to overhaul its data deletion practices and impose stricter, more transparent privacy measures. It also obliges the company to delete certain sensitive private data collected by Alexa and to stop it using deleted geolocation and voice information to create or improve its data products, and to create a privacy programme to govern its use of geolocation data.

Amazon has been the target of a number of lawsuits alleging it has illegally recorded the voices of children using Alexa products without the consent of them or their parents.

System

• Amazon Alexa developer website

• Amazon Alexa Wikipedia profile

• Alexa Privacy and Data Handling Overview (pdf)

Legal, regulatory

• US Federal Trade Commission (2023). FTC and DOJ Charge Amazon with Violating Children’s Privacy Law by Keeping Kids’ Alexa Voice Recordings Forever and Undermining Parents’ Deletion Requests

• USA vs Amazon (2023) (pdf)

News, commentary, analysis

• https://apnews.com/article/amazon-alexa-ring-doorbell-privacy-violations-ftc-971419109d7af10203d7ccfd28fcd0ad

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65772154

• https://www.npr.org/2023/06/01/1179381126/amazon-alexa-ring-settlement

• https://time.com/6284016/amazon-fine-child-privacy-alexa-ring-camera/

• https://www.axios.com/2023/05/31/ftc-ring-employees-illegally-accessed-user-private-videos

• https://news.sky.com/story/amazon-to-pay-millions-to-settle-alexa-and-ring-doorbell-privacy-claims-12893913