Microsoft's Siri-like Cortana service doesn't talk to kids

Microsoft Cortana, a voice activated virtual assistant for Windows Phone 8.1 named after Halo's AI character, will not talk to kids. Like Apple's Siri on iPhone, Cortana's speech recognition allows users to ask it questions and perform specific tasks. Cortana also collects data on users in the process in order to improve the experience over time, meaning it is subject to the US government's Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA's policies insure that children under the age of 1...