Amazon Alexa Voice Recordings: The FTC $25 Million Penalty
Regulators said deleting a recording in the app did not always delete it everywhere.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 23, 2026On May 31, 2023 the FTC and Department of Justice announced a case against Amazon over Alexa. They alleged Amazon kept children’s voice recordings indefinitely unless a parent asked for deletion, failed to delete transcripts from all of its databases after parents asked, and kept some voice and geolocation data for years. The proposed order includes a $25 million civil penalty, deletion of children’s data and a ban on using deleted data to improve any data product. It required court approval. If you use a voice assistant, review and delete your history and check what the device stores.
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Smart speakers are always ready to listen for a wake word, and what they keep afterwards matters. This guide explains what the FTC and the Department of Justice alleged about Amazon’s Alexa, based on the FTC’s own announcement.
What was announced
The FTC and DOJ announced the case on May 31, 2023. The DOJ filed a complaint and a proposed stipulated order on the FTC’s behalf in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The Commission voted 4-0 to refer the complaint. The proposed order needed the court’s approval before it could take effect.
What the agencies alleged
According to the FTC’s announcement:
- Amazon kept children’s Alexa voice recordings indefinitely unless a parent requested deletion.
- Even after a parent asked for deletion, Amazon failed to delete children’s voice transcripts from all of its databases.
- Amazon kept some voice and geolocation data for years and used it to improve its Alexa algorithm.
- Amazon lacked an effective system for honouring deletion requests and did not give parents meaningful notice about deletion.
- When Amazon discovered failures in deleting geolocation data, it repeatedly failed to fix them.
- Amazon told users, including parents, that they could delete voice recordings and Alexa app geolocation data, which the FTC said was not true in practice.
Amazon said it kept children’s recordings to respond to commands, let parents review them and improve speech recognition. The FTC said the recordings gave Amazon a valuable database for training Alexa to understand children.
The proposed penalty and order
The penalty was a $25 million civil penalty. The proposed order would require Amazon to:
- delete children’s data, certain voice recordings and geolocation information;
- delete inactive child Alexa accounts;
- stop using geolocation, voice and children’s voice information subject to deletion requests to create or improve any data product;
- notify users about the FTC-DOJ action and about its retention and deletion practices and controls;
- stop misrepresenting its privacy policies on geolocation and voice information;
- create and implement a privacy program for its use of geolocation information.
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Why this matters even if you are not a parent
The allegations concern a basic question that applies to any smart device: when you press delete, what is actually deleted? Voice recordings and location history can reveal where you live, who is in your household and when you are home. They also add to your wider digital footprint. See what a digital footprint is.
What you can do
- Review your voice history. Open your voice assistant’s app or account page and look at what is stored.
- Delete what you do not need, and check any setting that lets you delete automatically after a period.
- Check location permissions for the app and device, and turn off what is not needed.
- Think about where the speaker sits. Avoid placing it in rooms where you discuss private matters, and mute the microphone when you want to.
- Use child profiles carefully. If children use a device, learn what it keeps and how a parent can remove it. Our guide on COPPA for parents explains the main US children’s privacy rule.
Reviewing other accounts
Voice assistants are one of several places that keep history about you. You can do a similar review for your Google account and your Microsoft account.
Smart home devices and cameras
The same habits apply to doorbells and cameras. Read Ring privacy zones and the Neighbors app for settings that limit what a device records and shares.
Sources
- FTC: FTC and DOJ charge Amazon with violating children’s privacy law by keeping kids’ Alexa voice recordings forever (allegations, penalty, proposed order)
Frequently asked questions
How much was the FTC penalty?
The FTC announced a $25 million civil penalty as part of a proposed order, which needed court approval.
What did the FTC allege about Alexa recordings?
That Amazon kept children’s voice recordings indefinitely unless parents asked for deletion and failed to delete transcripts from all databases afterwards.
Did the case involve location data?
Yes. The FTC alleged Amazon kept some voice and geolocation data for years and failed to fix geolocation deletion failures.
What would the order require?
Deletion of certain children’s data, recordings and geolocation information, a ban on using deleted data to improve products and a privacy program.
How can I reduce what my smart speaker keeps?
Review and delete voice history, limit location permissions, mute the microphone when needed and set up automatic deletion if offered.
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