Amazon sued by FTC over Alexa and Ring ads targeting children and teens

Amazon is accused of violating child protection laws by subjecting teens to targeted ads based on their health data, web search and browsing history, and even their personal conversations with Alexa.<br><br>The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleged that the company has been serving personalized ads to teens without their consent through Alexa and Ring devices, in violation of COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.<br><br>Amazon allegedly used AI-powered speaker technology to listen in on conversations with teens and keep records of their most frequently asked questions in their Alexa accounts for 30 days. The company then used these recordings to deliver personalized ads based on teens’ interests and hobbies.<br><br>The FTC said Amazon also used children’s health data, including “data about their sleep, menstruation, and breastfeeding” to deliver targeted ads.<br><br>Similarly, the FTC alleged that Amazon collected teens’ data from Ring devices without their consent and used that data for targeted ads.&#x200B;<br><br>The FTC has demanded that Amazon stop serving personalized ads targeting teens and to delete teens’ data collected between 2022-2025.