Amazon has unveiled “Alexa for Kids,” a version of their Echo home assistant for children.
“Echo Dot Kids Edition can play age-appropriate music, answer questions, tell stories, and more,” explained Amazon, who added that parents can also “control time limits, set bedtimes, [and] review activity.”
Parents will also be able to look at what their kids are using the device for through their own smartphones.
“Use the online Parent Dashboard to review activity, pause Alexa, and set daily time limits at bedtime or throughout the day,” Amazon declared. “Parents can filter explicit songs from Amazon Music and voice shopping is turned off to help prevent unexpected purchases. Alexa even provides positive feedback when kids ask questions and remember to say ‘please.’ You can use compatible Echo devices or the Alexa app to let kids know dinner is ready, ask for help with a chore, or remind them to go to sleep—all without raising your voice. Use Drop In to instantly connect to another Echo device at home, or send an announcement to other Echo devices at once.”
Despite the fact that Amazon’s Echo devices are always listening, and record your conversations, Amazon’s Vice President of Alexa Customer Experience, Toni Reid, claimed, “Consumer trust is of utmost importance to us… We take privacy and security very seriously.”
Reid added that third-party developers are “prohibited from collecting personal information,” and claimed Amazon does not “share any information, we don’t share audio recordings or any identifiable personal information to those developers.”
The device, which will be available May 9, costs $79.99 and can be ordered in a “kid-friendly” blue, green, or red case.
Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington, or like his page at Facebook.