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Big Tech Gets Slapped With COPPA Fines

Written by Arlo Gilbert | Jun 8, 2023 5:55:00 PM

Hello all, and happy Thursday!  

It’s been a big week for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)—specifically, for children’s data privacy enforcement. Multiple businesses have been found to be in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), including Microsoft and Amazon. 

We’ve written about the uneven progression of data privacy laws in the U.S. before, but the one subject everyone seems to be in agreement on is that children’s data privacy should be respected, regulated, and enforced. After all, us adults know better than to be careless with our personal data. (Right?)  

Children don’t have the same understanding of the digital world and the threats it contains. So, it makes sense that legislators and regulators are more willing to act on children’s data privacy than on data privacy writ large.  

If you’re not up to date on the recent developments on children’s data privacy law in the U.S., including COPPA, then you’ll want to scroll down to explore our featured blog post this week. 

Best, 

Arlo 

 

Top Privacy Stories of the Week

 

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Texas Amends State Data Breach Notification Law 

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Amazon's Ring Cameras Were Used to Spy on Customers 

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Amazon Fined $25 Million for Deceiving Parents, Violating Child Privacy Law 

After violating COPPA, Amazon was fined $25 million by the FTC. The FTC complaint indicated that parents were unable to delete their children’s personal data from Alexa devices, including their voice and geolocation data. Although parents were given the option of requesting their children’s data be deleted, Amazon did not act on those requests. 

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FTC Fines Microsoft $20 Million Over COPPA Violation 

Microsoft recently paid a $20 million fine due to COPPA violations related to data collection practices on its Xbox console. Specifically, Microsoft collected personal information from children who signed up for an Xbox account without notifying their parents or obtaining their parents’ consent and illegally retained children’s personal information. 

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Osano Blog: What's Going on With the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)? 

Children’s data is an especially hot-button topic in data privacy. Laws surrounding the protection of children’s data and enforcement of violations are constantly being updated. Check out our blog post to catch up on recent developments with childrens’ data privacy law in general and COPPA in particular. 

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