Bipartisan Senate Group, Advocates Urge FTC COPPA Investigation of Amazon

The FTC should investigate Amazon for Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act violations related to its Echo Dot Kids Edition, senators wrote the agency Thursday. Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., cited alleged evidence Amazon is failing to meet COPPA’s notice standard and parental consent requirement and not allowing parents to properly delete children’s data. The FTC confirmed it received the letter. Nineteen consumer and public health organizations led by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and Center for Digital Democracy called for an investigation, in an FTC complaint. They cited a review by the CCFC and Institute for Public Representation at Georgetown Law. “Amazon retains children’s data even after parents believe they have deleted it,” they wrote, citing overly complicated privacy policies. Color of Change, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Public Citizen were among others joining the complaint. FreeTime on Alexa and Echo Dot Kids Edition are compliant with COPPA, an Amazon spokesperson said Thursday, citing the company's privacy practices.