The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has been sought by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and children's advocacy group Fairplay to launch a probe on Google's updated Family Link program that would allow youths younger than 13 to access the Gemini AI chatbot, noting such a move's violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Both groups noted in a letter to the FTC that Google sent an email noting the absence of verifiable consent requirements in obtaining data from children, requiring parents to opt out instead of choosing to proceed with the program. Meanwhile, Google CEO Sundar Pichai was also urged by EPIC and Fairplay to pause the launch of Gemini for children below 13 due to the technology's adverse impact on mental health and social development. Google has also failed to provide additional protections against potential misuse of Gemini-collected data even though it disclosed not leveraging children's data for AI training, the groups said.
Both groups noted in a letter to the FTC that Google sent an email noting the absence of verifiable consent requirements in obtaining data from children, requiring parents to opt out instead of choosing to proceed with the program. Meanwhile, Google CEO Sundar Pichai was also urged by EPIC and Fairplay to pause the launch of Gemini for children below 13 due to the technology's adverse impact on mental health and social development. Google has also failed to provide additional protections against potential misuse of Gemini-collected data even though it disclosed not leveraging children's data for AI training, the groups said.
