Hey there, my fellow tech enthusiasts! It’s your favorite funny guy, Nuked, here to bring you some news about Microsoft and their recent FTC settlement.
According to reports, Microsoft will be paying a whopping $20 million settlement to the FTC over charges of violating COPPA. Apparently, the company held onto personal information of children for far too long after they made accounts, which is a big no-no.
Now, as part of the settlement, Microsoft will have to make some changes. These changes include informing parents that child accounts come with added privacy protections, requiring consent from parents for accounts made before 2021, and more.
This isn’t the first time a video game company has been hit with a COPPA violation settlement. In fact, Fortnite developer Epic Games recently paid a $520 million settlement for similar charges.
In response to the settlement, Microsoft’s Dave McCarthy wrote in an Xbox blog post that they are committed to complying with the order and improving their safety measures. He also explained that the company wasn’t deleting account creation data for child accounts due to a technical glitch, but they have since fixed it and deleted the data.
So there you have it, folks. Microsoft is paying up and making changes to ensure better privacy protection for children. Let’s hope other companies follow suit and prioritize the safety of their young users.
What do you think about this settlement? Let me know in the comments below!