$20 million FTC settlement addresses Microsoft Xbox illegal collection of kids’ data

Photo by Pawel Kadysz on unsplash.com

By Lesley Fair, FTC

Care About COPPA Compliance may not be the coolest Xbox gamertag, but an FTC action against Microsoft for alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule suggests it might be a good choice nonetheless. 

Filed by the Department of Justice on the FTC’s behalf, the $20 million proposed settlement will require Microsoft to bolster privacy protections for kids who use its Xbox gaming system. 

The order also makes it clear that COPPA covers information like avatars generated from a child’s image, biometric data, and health data collected with other personal information – and reminds businesses that the Rule imposes strict limitations on the retention of data from kids.

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