FTC announces settlement with toy robot makers that tracked location of children | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The FTC announced a settlement Tuesday with Chinese robot toy manufacturer Apitor, following an investigation that charged the company with illegally collecting the location data of U.S. children who buy its products.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/ftc-settlement-apitor-childrens-privacy-violation\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FTC announces settlement with toy robot makers that tracked location of children\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The FTC announced a settlement Tuesday with Chinese robot toy manufacturer Apitor, following an investigation that charged the company with illegally collecting the location data of U.S. children who buy its products.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" 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href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/ftc-settlement-apitor-childrens-privacy-violation\/#main\" class=\"skip-to-content-link visually-hidden-focusable\">Skip to main content<\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"26.424319727891\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"35.904076738609\">\n<p> Apitor collected data without informing parents or asking for permission, the FTC said, violating federal parental consent requirements. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/85825\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"263\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children.png?resize=640%2C263&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-2.png 1435w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-2.png?resize=300,123 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-2.png?resize=768,316 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-2.png?resize=1024,421 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-2.png?resize=600,247 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-2.png?resize=1200,493 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption> Apitor collected data without informing parents or asking for permission, the FTC said, violating federal parental consent requirements. (Image Source: Apitor Technology) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"32.103658536585\"><body readability=\"64.517118863049\"><\/p>\n<p>The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement Tuesday with a Chinese robot toy manufacturer, following an investigation that charged the company with illegally collecting the location data of U.S. children who buy its products.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/system\/files\/ftc_gov\/pdf\/Apitor-Complaint.pdf\">complaint<\/a> filed in the U.S. Northern District Court of California, the Department of Justice on behalf of the FTC charged Shenzhen, China-based Apitor Technology \u2014 makers of programmable robot toys for children \u2014 of violating U.S. federal law by tracking the geolocation of users under the age of 13 through an online app that users download to operate the robots.<\/p>\n<p>Apitor collected this data without informing parents or asking for permission, the FTC said, violating parental consent requirements in the 1998 Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act.<\/p>\n<p>This collection, ongoing since at least 2022, \u201csubjects underage consumers to ongoing harm and deprives parents of the ability to make an informed decision about the collection of their children\u2019s location information,\u201d the FTC alleged in its complaint.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cApitor allowed a Chinese third party to collect sensitive data from children using its product, in violation of COPPA,\u201d Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC\u2019s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. \u201cCOPPA is clear: Companies that provide online services to kids must notify parents if they are collecting personal information from their kids and get parents\u2019 consent \u2014 even if the data is collected by a third party.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The toys made by Apitor are sold on Amazon and other online marketplaces, marketed to children between the ages of 6-14, and promise educational benefits such as teaching children coding skills.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"581\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-1.png?resize=640%2C581&ssl=1\" alt class=\"wp-image-85826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-3.png 1224w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-3.png?resize=300,273 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-3.png?resize=768,698 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-3.png?resize=1024,930 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-3.png?resize=600,545 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-3.png?resize=185,168 185w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-3.png?resize=371,337 371w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-3.png?resize=743,675 743w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children-3.png?resize=928,843 928w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Apitor robots, marketed to children between 6-14 years of age, were available for sale on Amazon and other online e-marketplaces. (Source: FTC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Apitor\u2019s products come with a companion application, downloadable on Android and iOS mobile devices, for children to remotely control the robots. It also included a third-party software development kit called JPush, made by a Chinese phone developer and analytics company, that collects \u201cthe precise geolocation data for thousands of children,\u201d the agency said.<\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s own privacy policy expressly affirms its intentions to adhere to U.S. law, at one point stating \u201c[w]e are committed to complying with the Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act\u201d without disclosing the tracking of geolocation data through JPush.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/system\/files\/ftc_gov\/pdf\/Apitor-JointMotion-StipOrder.pdf\">proposed order<\/a> detailing terms of the settlement, Apitor did not admit or deny the allegations but agreed to pay a $500,000 civil fine for previous violations and delete collected geolocation data or obtain express parental consent from each user.<\/p>\n<p>The company also agreed to 10 years of compliance monitoring and must include a \u201cclear and conspicuous\u201d disclosure in any visual, audible or electronic marketing about its robots that it intends to collect geolocation data \u2014 or any COPPA-protected personal data \u2014 and request explicit consent from parents before doing so.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.8356164383562\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. 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Derek has a bachelor\u2019s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master\u2019s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 class=\"popular-stories__title\"> More Scoops <\/h2>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<section class=\"latest-podcasts\">\n<h2 class=\"latest-podcasts__title\"> Latest Podcasts\t<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"top-categories\">\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Government<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Technology<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/main> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--bottom \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"interstitial\" class=\"welcome__container\"> <button id=\"close-modal-1\" class=\"welcome__clickable_area\"><\/button> <\/p>\n<div class=\"welcome__ad_wrapper\">\n<p> <button id=\"close-modal-3\" class=\"welcome__continue-button\">Continue to CyberScoop<\/button> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>   <\/body> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/ftc-settlement-apitor-childrens-privacy-violation\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FTC announces settlement with toy robot makers that tracked location<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4938,775,575,268],"tags":[4939,777,577,274],"class_list":["post-7952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-apitor","category-coppa","category-ftc","category-privacy","tag-apitor","tag-coppa","tag-ftc","tag-privacy"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","chromenews-featured":"","chromenews-large":"","chromenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"Cyber Scoop","author_link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/author\/cyberscoop\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/apitor\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Apitor<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/coppa\/\" rel=\"category tag\">COPPA<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/ftc\/\" rel=\"category tag\">FTC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/privacy\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Privacy<\/a>","tag_info":"Privacy","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7952\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

{"id":7952,"date":"2025-09-03T11:11:24","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T16:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=85825"},"modified":"2025-09-03T11:11:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T16:11:24","slug":"ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/09\/03\/ftc-announces-settlement-with-toy-robot-makers-that-tracked-location-of-children\/","title":{"rendered":"FTC announces settlement with toy robot makers that tracked location of children"},"content":{"rendered":"