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| Amazon plans to develop Alexa trackers for kids |
Amazon home devices have been criticized by data protection officials and considered the development of an Alexa-based mobile device for children.
This GPS-equipped device is codenamed Seeker and is suitable for children from 4 to 12 years old.
It can be in the form of a bracelet, keychain, or clasp, and voice-activated wearables can access Amazon's child-focused content and allow parents to connect with and monitor their children.
Amazon explored the concept of the device in mid-2019 as part of its 2020 product roadmap, and it's unclear if the project has made any progress.
The company has tried to create a variety of Alexa-enabled products for kids. Disney's portable Magic Band will be available this year.
It is not known if it was a toy or if it was related to the magical guest tracking bracelets that Disney used in its parks and hotels.
The two companies cooperate in different ways. Amazon's cloud computing service supports the Disney+ streaming service.
Earlier this year, Amazon began offering the music service to Disney+ subscribers for free for several months.
Amazon is also planning to release an Alexa karaoke microphone called Jackson on Prime Day. But during last month's two-day annual sales period, the device wasn't ready for use yet.
The e-commerce giant also plans to sell Seeker kids-themed clothing for $99, including WiFi access and a year of the company's FreeTime Unlimited subscription, renamed Kids+.
Subscription fee is $2.99 per month. It provides access to children's books, movies, TV shows, apps and games, allows parents to set time restrictions, and filter and filter content based on their children's ages.
Amazon wants to provide kids with Alexa trackers
Kids' devices can represent Amazon's ambitions in the consumer device space. Last year, the company launched a fitness bracelet called Halo, which tracks the wearer's physical activity, sleep, body fat, and mood.
Stakeholders have historically criticized Amazon's privacy policy for devices aimed at children.
In 2019, Fairplay and the Center for Digital Democracy joined forces with several other groups to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
They claim that Amazon's version of the Echo Dot Kids collects data without parental consent and violates children's privacy rights.
The complaint also stated that the company will keep records of these devices indefinitely unless parents specifically request that they be removed.
Several US senators have also called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether Amazon violated the Children's Privacy Act by using the device.
Amazon said at the time that it was complying with the law and its website explained the steps it had taken to protect the privacy of FreeTime subscribers.
In the fall of 2019, Amazon released a new data protection tool. It includes a subscription feature that allows users to automatically delete Alexa records on a regular basis.
Bloomberg has reported privacy improvements as thousands of Amazon employees around the world review audio clips collected by Alexa devices to improve their response to commands.