The Microsoft Xbox Live settlement: What it means for your child’s privacy

Websites and online services that are directed to, or know they’re collecting information from, children under 13 are required by law to notify the parents directly and get their permission before they collect that child’s information. The FTC says Microsoft’s Xbox Live failed to do so.

As part of a settlement, Microsoft agreed to comply with the law to protect children’s privacy on Xbox Live and to get parental consent for the personal information it collected from children’s accounts created before May 2021. The company also will tell adult Xbox Live users about its privacy settings to protect children.

If you have a child that plays on your Xbox Live account, you may create a child account, which gives your child some privacy protections they don’t get on an adult account. For example, a child account limits how Microsoft shares your child’s information. And your child may only communicate with friends that you approve. To review and adjust your child’s privacy settings, go to your Microsoft Privacy Dashboard.

Before a website or online service collects personal information from your child, it has to notify you and get your permission. The notice must

• tell you what information the site will collect about your child,
• tell you how it will use the information,
• tell you how to give — or withhold — your consent, and
• include a link to the privacy policy with more details.

If you give consent, that’s not the end of the story. You have the right to review the information that the website or service collects about your child, and delete it if you choose. You also have the right to revoke your consent at any time.

To learn more, check out the FTC’s advice about protecting your child’s information online.

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