Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition
Summary
The Fire HD Kids Edition is a tablet that provides kids with a variety of curated content, such as TV shows and movies, on a small device that can be used on the go without internet connection. The tablet can be purchased for $199.
Breach History
Has there ever been a breach or data leak?
Date of last breach
February 2020
A large database containing millions of European customer records was found unsecured on Amazon Web Services on February 3, 2020. Information from several companies was found on this database, such as Amazon, eBay, Shopify, PayPal, and Stripe. Leaked personal information could include name, shipping address, email, phone number, items purchased, payment history, and partially redacted credit cards.
Privacy Checklist
Is any kind of biometric data collected (health, heart, voice, etc.)?
Are you able to delete your data / the data collected about you?
Does it use cookies, telemetry, or third-party tracking scripts?
Is the privacy policy user-friendly (easy to understand)?
Does it have parental controls?
Does it use encryption to protect your data both in-transit and at-rest?
Does it get regular software and / or firmware updates?
Does it require you to create a strong password?
Is there a system in place for managing security vulnerabilities?
Does it have a privacy policy?
How Can It Snoop?
Does it have a camera or request / require access to a camera?
Does it have a microphone or request / require access to a microphone?
Does it track your location or request / require access to location data?
Account Requirements
Does it require an email address to use?
Does it require a phone number to use?
Does it require an address (home or office) to use?
Payment Options
Are you able to use a credit card as a payment option?
Are you able to use a cryptocurrency as a payment option?
Are you able to use PayPal as a payment option?
Are you able to use cash or gift cards as a payment option?
What Could Go Wrong?
Amazon can track your child's viewing and browsing habits with this product. You can request that Amazon delete your child's data, however, the only way to be absolutely sure that all of your data is deleted is to delete your Amazon account entirely. Be warned that this is a risk when purchasing this product.
How Does It Share Your Data?
Amazon can use device data such as your browsing history and location to target you with custom, interest-based ads.
Good Things
- Surplus of age-appropriate content.
- Smart parent controls.
- Long battery life.
Bad Things
- Child privacy concerns.
- Fire OS can be buggy.
Final Thoughts
Amazon notoriously collects a large amount of data on its users and uses it to target them with interest-based ads. Amazon was also included in a data breach that exposed information from several million European Amazon accounts. As a result, personal information seems to be at serious risk when provided to Amazon. It should also be especially concerning given this product is geared towards kids.