Microsoft states it does not intentionally collect personal data from children under 13. If a parent discovers their child has provided data to Microsoft without consent, they can request deletion by contacting Microsoft.
This analysis describes what Microsoft Azure's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
COPPA requires parental consent before collecting personal data from children under 13 in the U.S.; parents who discover their child has a Microsoft account or has used Microsoft services should act promptly to request data deletion.
Microsoft now discloses that it may contact you by phone for marketing using automated dialers and AI-generated voices if you have consented to marketing communications, which represents a new disclosure of contact method and technology type. The company has also reorganized its data retention policy to state it retains data for broader business purposes including improving products and protecting systems, while removing previous specific examples and retention criteria, making it less clear exactly how long specific types of your data will be kept. You should review your consent settings for marketing communications and verify what contact methods you have authorized, particularly if you have concerns about automated or AI-generated calls.
View change record →Microsoft's privacy policy now provides a less detailed explanation of how long your data is retained. Previously, the policy included specific examples, such as how long deleted emails remain in your system before final deletion, and listed criteria for deciding retention periods. Now those details are consolidated into a more general statement pointing readers to separate product documentation. This means you'll need to consult multiple documents to understand retention timelines for specific services, which reduces transparency at the point of reading the main privacy policy.
View change record →Microsoft's updated retention policy provides greater specificity about how long your data persists and under what conditions it is deleted. The policy now explicitly states that deleted items from OneDrive and Outlook.com may remain in Microsoft's systems for up to 30 days before permanent removal, even after you empty the Deleted Items folder. Additionally, the updated terms clarify that retention periods depend on whether you have an expectation that Microsoft will keep the data until you actively remove it, and whether automated controls exist to let you access and delete data yourself. You can review Microsoft's privacy dashboard to exercise available deletion controls and understand which services retain your data under these criteria.
View change record →Children under 13 should not use Microsoft consumer services without parental oversight; if they have, parents can contact Microsoft to request deletion of the child's personal data using the link provided in the policy.
How other platforms handle this
At Ledger, earning and maintaining our users' trust is a top priority. That's why we are deeply committed not only to protecting your privacy and securing your personal data, but also to being fully transparent about how we handle it.
If we collect health information from these integrations (such as heart rate), we will not sell or use it for advertising or other similar purposes; we do not disclose it to third parties without your prior consent; and we will only use it for the specific purposes described in this Policy.
We collect your personal data when you use our Services, create a new eBay account, provide us with information via a web form, add or update information in your eBay account, participate in online community discussions or otherwise interact with us.
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"Microsoft does not knowingly collect data from children under the age of 13. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that a child under the age of 13 has provided us with data without their consent, they should contact us at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=523263. If we become aware that a child under the age of 13 has provided us with personal data, we will take steps to delete such information.— Excerpt from Microsoft Azure's Microsoft Privacy
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly implicates COPPA, enforced by the FTC in the United States, which requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. The UK Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code) and GDPR Article 8 impose additional requirements for EU/UK users under 16 (or lower where member states have set a lower age). (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The statement's commitment to delete children's data upon discovery is consistent with COPPA requirements but the practical enforcement of age verification across Microsoft's broad product portfolio is operationally complex. Products like Xbox and educational tools face heightened scrutiny. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA member states have set varying age thresholds (13-16) for consent under GDPR Article 8. The UK Children's Code applies to services likely accessed by children under 18. U.S. COPPA applies to children under 13. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations deploying Microsoft education products (such as Microsoft 365 Education) should verify whether their deployment configuration satisfies COPPA's school official exception and whether parental consent workflows are in place where required. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should audit age-gating mechanisms across Microsoft-integrated products, confirm data deletion workflows for underage user data, and assess whether Microsoft's education product deployments require additional contractual protections.
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COPPA requires parental consent before collecting personal data from children under 13 in the U.S.; parents who discover their child has a Microsoft account or has used Microsoft services should act promptly to request data deletion.
Children under 13 should not use Microsoft consumer services without parental oversight; if they have, parents can contact Microsoft to request deletion of the child's personal data using the link provided in the policy.
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